


The One Who Was Lost

by Invisible206



Series: Jotunheim Sorceress [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Jötunheimr | Jotunheim, PTSD, Reader is Jotunn, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2020-10-25 03:09:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 45,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20717102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Invisible206/pseuds/Invisible206
Summary: You survived when the bifrost was aimed at Jotunheim but nearly everyone you know was vaporized. The king's brother, Byleister brings you to the palace, and since the royal mage was killed the king brings you into his court.Loki didn’t fall off the bifrost and the new king of Jotunheim demands that he be surrendered to him.  You sense that something isn’t as it seems with this Aesir prince but what could it be?





	1. Chapter 1

You ran around the edges of the ancient chamber. It was yours now, you were the only one who could get to it, other than your teacher. You took him there and he told you never to do that again, that teleporting into mountains was too dangerous. He then promptly looked the other way. 

You knew he was proud. You were the only full mage in the temple and he was bursting with pride at your progress. He towered over you as did everyone else, except for the occasional child. He had two half mages under his tutelage and he cared deeply for them as well, they were like siblings to you, huge siblings. You loved him like a parent, and he filled that role in your life. 

The deep mountain chamber was surrounded by beautiful ancient carvings. It was too nice for a mere temple child but no one else could reach it so it was yours. You made it into your hideaway. It was your special place to get away from the noise of the city and the rules of the temple. 

You had brought furs to lounge on and books to read. But there were so many things to explore that you seldom sat still for long, the books had to wait. 

Suddenly you felt an odd temperature change. The wall you were touching was a few degrees warmer. You quickly took your hand off the wall. Then slowly and carefully touched it again with your finger. It was warmer still, like it was radiating from far away, perhaps below. 

Something wasn’t right and you felt a twist in your stomach. You took a deep breath and tried to think of what could be happening. Maybe the mountain was volcanic. You decided to teleport to the surface. 

It was blazing hot and you quickly jumped back to your chamber. Your heart was thumping in your chest and you could feel it in your ears. 

You decided that you would try again but shift into bird form so you wouldn’t be touching the hot ground. You had mastered a sparrow form recently, another thing that gave your teacher great pride. 

You teleported, jumped and shifted. Spreading your wings and flapping to gain altitude away from the hot melted ground. 

The ice was gone, it was evaporated down to dirt and some of the dirt had turned to glass in places. You flew higher. 

You saw a wide path burned into the landscape, it started at the mountain and it ran through the valley and slashed the city in two. 

You flew to the city and saw that the temple was gone, everything north and south of it was melted, ice evaporated and patches of molten stone glistened up at you. 

You circled the former location of the temple, your home. You were in shock and did not know what to do. The ground was still way too warm to land so you flew outside of the path and landed in a tree. Not ready to shift back yet. 

People were running around and calling for their friends and family. Some groups were united and hugged and spoke quickly to each other. Some people were alone and walking along the edge of the devastation in shock. 

You hop down from the branch and shift into your natural form. Walk to the edge yourself and stare across the bare rock that was your home. 

Walking towards you along the edge you see a half mage. You are thrilled and you run to him. As you get closer you recognize Byleister, the king's son. His pitch black hair tied into a tight high ponytail that swayed when he walked. He did not live at the temple, he only came for lessons, he must not have been there when whatever it was passed over. 

“Little one! You are alive!” He shouted as he picked you up in a desperate embrace. You hugged him back, tears finally flowing from your eyes. Everything was gone. Everyone you knew and loved. Burned to vapor and glass. 

“My Father is dead” said Byleister. 

“Oh no” you sympathize, “was he in the temple?” 

“No, lured into a trap in Asgard by the second Aesir prince. The same one who caused all this destruction.”

“How? How could he be so powerful as to cause such destruction” you asked. 

“He’s not powerful, he’s a liar and a cheat.” Said Byliester in disgust. He pointed their portal at us and held it open to burn the planet away. If he wasn’t stopped we would all be dead”. 

“Are you ok my friend?” You ask the Jotnar prince as he sets you back on the ground. In the temple he was just another student, and as such was your friend as if he were just a common half mage. 

“I’m still in shock. I was hoping to find my teacher alive, but I think that no one had time to get away. At least it was quick, I don’t think they felt any pain, or even knew anything happened”

You knew this was supposed to make you feel better but it only released more of the tears that that you were unable to shed before. You wrapped your arms around the mage prince's waist and sobbed. He put his hands on your shoulders and you could feel him start to shake too. 

“Come with me” said Byliester as he pulled himself together. “My Brother Helblindi is now the King and he will give you a place with us at the palace.”

You stifled a sob and shook your head. Thanking your friend for taking you in. 

***

The castle in Utgarde was not in the greatest of repair, but it was outside the path of destruction. Byleister took you to a suite in the family’s wing. It didn’t register to you at first, but he intended that the suite would be yours. You had only had a bed in the temple dormitory before, so you were amazed at the idea of so much room for one person. There was a sitting room, and then a bedroom with a huge bed covered in furs-a bed made for a full sized Jotun. You would get lost in it. Then a bathroom adjoining the bedroom. 

Byliester laughed at your amazement. It was nice to hear a laugh after all the sadness and horror of the day. He said that they would call for you for dinner and left the room. 

Much to your delight, you found a bookshelf in the sitting room. It was filled with books, mostly fiction but a few historical. You selected a book on the royal family and got cozy on a large chair. Trying to distract yourself. Furniture defaulted to average Jotnar size, but you were used to this, being a full mage you were tiny and everything was built for larger people. 

A knock came on the door, you called them to come in. A servant walked into the room. He bowed his bald blue head and said “it is time for the evening meal, Sorceress, please come with me”. 

You walked beside him, your shoulders barely the height of his hip. He led you through several corridors and to the main dining hall. 

There you saw Byliester, sitting with his full sized family. It made him look small and made you feel tiny. The servant led you to the Royal family. You felt nervous, surely this was a mistake. But Byliester gestured you to him, pointing to the chair next to him which was stacked with enough pillows that you could reach the table comfortably. The servant gave you a hand to help you climb up. 

Byleister smiled and turned to the king. “This is the Sorceress I told you about. 

Helblindi King looked at you with a sad smile. “What is your name, little sorceress?”

You were nervous speaking to the king of Jötunheim, but you managed to tell him your name. 

“We are glad you survived, so few full mages are born. Byleister and I had a brother who was a full mage, but he was lost as an infant during the war”. 

The woman next to him narrowed her eyes at the mention of the lost child. She is tall for a Jotun woman and very severe looking. Her black hair was in a high ponytail like Byleister’s, but her’s is shorter, more of a warning flag to stay away. Her horns are long and sharpened to wicked points, they are in a position to be weapons, as opposed to yours which curl down and around the sides of your head. You realize that this is the great general Farbauti, mother of Byleister and the wife of fallen Laufey King. She is not one to be trifled with and you make a plan to stay out of her way. 

Soon the food is served. You’ve never seen so much good food in one place. There were several types of fish, cut into bite sized cubes and served raw. Shellfish opened and served in the shell. Root vegetables and various fruits from sea plants. You look at Byliester who is plucking fish cubes into his mouth with his fingers. You do the same. 

The hall is quiet as the family eats their meal. 

As the servants clear the dishes away Helblindi turns to you and says “we lost our royal mage, he was at the temple. You and Byleister are the only ones left. Byleister tells me you are very powerful for a young mage. I would like to make you my new royal mage. I know it’s unusual to put someone so young in this position, but we don’t have any other choices. 

You are shocked by the proposal,but you realize that he’s right. You nod your head and say “I am at your service, your majesty”. 

“Good. We will have a council meeting in the morning”. He then stood up and left the room. Farbauti General followed. Leaving Byleister and you alone in the room. 

“He hopes to demand the Aesir prince be surrendered to us.” Said Byleister. “He wants to deal with him personally.”

You hope the king gets what he wants, you wouldn’t mind helping with whatever he has planned for the murderer. 

Byleister walks you back to your suite and wishes you good night. You spend a little time reading and then crawl into the massive bed and cry yourself to sleep. 

The next day a servant brings you fruit and bread to break your fast. You thank him as he leaves. You look into the closets and find several robes that are small enough to fit you. You find a black one and belt it with a gold rope. You feel that black will be your color for a while. 

Byleister knocks on your door and you invite him in. He is also dressed in a black mages robe. He guides you to the council chamber. 

Again they have provided you with a chair with high cushions. This time Byleister gives you a hand up and then climbs into his own slightly less cushioned chair. 

Helblindi, Farbauti General and three others enter the room and take their seats. 

“I have gone to the bifrost site and called to their watcher. I have requested a meeting with the Allfather. We will get the second prince or we will have war. 

Farbauti General seemed to glow at the word “war”, she would avenge her husband and her people with great enthusiasm given the opportunity. You don’t envy those who oppose her. 

Soon a messenger enters the room. The bifrost has flashed and the Allfather and his companions have arrived. This was much faster than you imagined it would go. Everyone gets up and leaves the building. 

A sled drawn by giant snow elk awaits. It is big enough for all of you and you get in. The elk speed across the snow, getting to the bifrost site in minutes. 

You get out of the sled and follow the others to meet the Aesir king. 

Byleister pushes you ahead to stand next to the Jotun king, you are a full mage and you represent the king's power. 

The Allfather is riding an eight legged horse, the rest of his party are on standard horses, except for a man on foot. The man has his hands cuffed with magic dampening runes and he is chained hand and foot. He also has a collar that has a chain leash held by several large einherjar. 

He is paler than the Allfather and his hair is pitch black. He is tall for an Aesir, taller than you by a couple inches. His eyes are bright green and he glares defiantly at Helblindi over his muzzled mouth. 

“I bring you my son as apology for his actions. We wish no trouble and we send our condolences for your loss.” Said the Allfather. 

The heavily muscled blond man next to him stared miserably straight ahead. 

This was too easy, why was the Allfather surrendering his son so easily, did he not know that we would kill him? 

Helblindi nodded to one of the giants who had accompanied us. A huge man with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. This was one of Farbauti’s men. 

The man approached the Einherjar and put out his hands. The Einherjar handed the chain leash to him without ceremony. 

The chained man stood tall and arrogantly followed the Jotun soldier to the sled. As he passed you, you get a strange feeling. This man is enchanted. He has a very complex and heavy enchantment on him. 

You look at Byleister to see if he noticed, but he just looks back with no expression. 

There is something very strange about this prisoner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You work on figuring out what it is about the Aesir prince that is so strange.

The Aesir Prince is in the back of the sled, flanked on either side by Farbauti’s men. He has his head held high and he narrows his eyes as he returns your stare. You turn around and face Byleister. 

“He’s heavily enchanted, can you feel it?”

“No, I just see a murdering Aesir beast” growled Byleister. “He killed my father and my mentor and vaporized random innocents- children! And our temple and all the mages!” 

“He is a monster” you agree. “But I wonder what the enchantment is,” you muse. “it could be dangerous, don’t you think it odd that the Allfather was so quick to surrender him? It could be some sort of trap”

Byleister looks at you strangely. “Why would the Allfather send his son as a trap after everything they have done to us?”

“To finish us off maybe? Or it could be something to make him suffer less, I don’t know. It’s very deeply cast and strange. I must warn the King”

You’re sure you feel some sort of enchantment, you wish Byleister could feel it, then you would have some validation. You’re really too young for this much responsibility and you try not to doubt yourself. You wish your teacher were here or that you had someone more experienced to consult with, but you’re it. Byleister is only a couple years older than you and he is a half mage, so it’s perfectly plausible that you could feel an enchantment that he couldn’t. 

When the sled returned to the palace Helblindi commanded that the prisoner be put in the dungeon. The soldiers yanked his chain and he fell off of the sled and into the snow. He quickly picked himself up and raised his head up and back so that he could glare down his nose at them. They yanked the chain again, knocking him down and dragging him in the snow behind them. He did not struggle. 

“Your majesty”, you called to the King “I need to speak with you about the prisoner”. 

“What do you see, Sorceress?” 

You took a deep breath “He has a deep enchantment on him. I can’t tell what it does just yet. It could be dangerous” you explain. 

“You will need to study him, then” said Helblindi. “Take Byleister with you and go to him in the dungeons after midday meal. Report back to me with your findings.”

You walked down the corridors to the dungeons. The hallways were cut in stone, as were the cells. A Jotun can manipulate ice so ice cells would have been useless. 

The prisoner had a heat source directed into his cell, not for comfort but to keep his weak Aesir body from freezing to death before they were done with him. 

When you reached his cell he was sitting against the back wall with his legs stretched out. The cell was built to accommodate a full sized Jotun, so he looked very small. 

You took a deep breath and braced yourself to spear more experienced than you were. “Stand up murderer, come here” you commanded, putting a little persuasion magic into your voice just in case. 

He stood up. The chains were off but he still wore the magic dampening cuffs and the collar was still around his neck. He was wearing a long, black coat and a dark green tunic and black trousers with boots. His shoulder length black hair was slicked back neatly, as if he hadn’t recently been dragged through several feet of snow and shoved into a dungeon cell. 

He came all the way to the bars and stood straight, glaring down his nose at you. He seemed to relish having someone shorter than he was to try to intimidate. 

“What is the nature of the enchantment that is on you?” you demanded. 

“There is no enchantment on me, tiny monster”. His voice was quiet and confident. 

Byleister looked at you for a minute, you could tell from his expression that he still wasn’t sensing the enchantment. 

“Perhaps it was done without your knowledge” you said to the murderer. 

“That could never happen” he said arrogantly, yet his voice was still low and controlled. “I am one of the most powerful sorcerers in Asgard. No one could cast a spell on me without my knowledge, little runt” 

“You have no power now, criminal” said Byleister angrily. The prisoner was getting to him “You would be well to address the Sorceress with the respect she deserves.”

“Don’t you creatures toss weak offspring such as her out onto the ice and leave them to die?” He looked at you in disgust, with a loathing that was way too personal not to have some deeper meaning. 

You and Byleister look at each other, surprised and disturbed by the horrific accusation. Then you look at the prisoner and say “I am a full mage, the magic I possess affects my ability to grow to full size. We are rare and it is considered lucky to birth one of us. Byleister, ” you nod at your companion , “Is half mage, with less power he will be able to get closer to full Jotun size, he is also brother of the king. We do not kill children. You, however, have killed a great many”

This information seemed to surprise the prisoner, but the expression lasted only a second before he got himself under control. 

“You mother must be proud” he drawled sarcastically, his voice still quiet and confident. 

“I was given to the temple as an infant. I do not know my birth family. I was raised by my teacher, who was my true family. You burned him to vapor.” You told the Aesir prince without emotion. 

“Less of your ilk to pollute the nine realms.” he taunted with a wicked smile. 

Byleister growled loudly and approached the bars as if he was going to grab the monster through them. You grab his wrist and pull him back. 

“We are done for now”. You say looking at Byleister, “I will report to your brother. Come with me”. 

Byleister bared his sharp teeth and snapped loudly at the prisoner as he looked down at him. The Aesir didn’t blink an eye, only glared back defiantly. 

***

Helblindi sat on the great ice throne with his ferocious mother standing tall to his right. She makes you nervous as you approach. 

You bend your knee and bow your head to your King. He tells you to rise. 

“Your Majesty, the Aesir prince claims no knowledge of the enchantment on him. I will need more time to figure this out.”

“You may have two more days, after that we will take our chances and begin his punishment” the king responds. “The people will not tolerate any less. You may go” 

You bowed and left the throne room. You needed to do some research, but the temple library was gone. You hoped to find the right books in the previous mage’s chambers. 

You ask Byleister where the former mage’s chambers are and he takes you there. He asks if you need his help and you say “no”. You aren’t exactly sure what you are looking for and you are a bit annoyed with him for snapping at the prisoner. You understand how he felt but he needs to keep his emotions in check, you just need a break from him. 

The chamber looks like its occupant had expected to return. There were papers spread over a desk and clothing thrown over a chair. The furs on the bed were all piled on one side. It looked lived in. You shudder at the thought that the owner had been there only a day ago but now would never come home. 

The royal mage had spent a lot of time at the temple. She was a half mage as were all the other mages in the temple, you were the first full mage in a couple of generations. She was wise and taught the youngsters about politics and diplomacy, as well as types of magic that a royal mage would be responsible for. She was kind and you liked her. You wished she had been at the castle. She would know exactly what to do about this mysterious enchantment. 

You walk over to a bookshelf and look at the titles. Nothing about hidden magic so you pick a large general magic book to leaf through just in case. 

You look for anything that might have to do with hiding a spell so deeply that it is unknown to the recipient, but the Aesir prince is a mage himself and nothing looked like it could be inflicted on him-he would always know. How could he not?

It occurs to you that the spell may actually be so old that he doesn’t remember it. Perhaps put on him as an infant. Maybe by the Aesir Queen when he was born to hide his true father. If he weren’t the king’s actual son then that would explain how easily they relinquished him. 

In that case it could be some sort of glamour that he had just grown with. But that didn’t make sense, the Aesir King and Queen and the oldest prince all had golden skin and blond hair, nothing like his pale complexion and raven hair. If someone wanted to make him look like Odin's son they would have made him look like the rest of the family. 

His parentage was nothing truly important, you consider-he was still the person who caused all the destruction. He was still the one they wanted. 

You close the book and leave the dead mage’s chamber. You head back down to the dungeons. 

***

“Hello, tiny monster, I see you can’t get enough of me” 

“Not quite”, you return, a little queasy at the implication. 

He walks up to the bars to get as close to you as he can. “I’m surprised that you have left me alone for so long, I certainly expected more attention from you animals”. He says with a silky and condescending tone. 

You ignore him. His voice is too pleasing for such a repulsive creature. 

“I think your mother may have hidden your true face when you were born, though why she gave you that one I have no idea. This would explain why you have no knowledge of the spell. You probably aren’t really the Allfather’s son. Don’t worry though, we don’t care. It changes nothing to us. It will not lessen your punishment” 

He looked very offended. “How dare you speak of my mother like that! You are lucky I have these cuffs on, creature!”

You gather energy and speak a glamour negating spell and throw a ball of maroon energy at his chest. He falls to the ground. You didn’t have to hit him so hard, in fact you probably didn’t need to actually throw the energy at him, but it felt good. 

He’s flat on his face on the ground and he starts to lift his upper body up. You look eagerly at his face and are disappointed to see that there is no change. Whatever his enchantment was this did not reverse it. 

“You clumsy child! Are you just going to throw magic rocks at me like a little brat?” He stood up and straightened his clothing, brushing himself off and smoothing his hair. 

“Hmm,” you say to yourself. “I guess it’s not a simple glamour.”

He walks up to you and pushes his face against the bars to try to intimidate you again. You get an idea and quickly reach out and yank out a strand of his hair before he can react. 

His face is livid, he can’t believe you did that! but he quickly calms himself and walks back to the back wall and sits down. Ignoring you. He’s had enough of you and is too angry to speak. 

You smile and turn to leave. You hurry back to the dead mages chamber to consult her library a little more. 

Sitting at her desk you examine the hair, you concentrate and envision it on a molecular level, then your concentration is shattered. It can’t be. The strand of hair is clearly Jotun. Did you make a mistake? Is this yours?

You pull one of yours to look at, it’s not the same, the DNA is different. The stand of hair you brought from the dungeon is not yours. 

You carefully put it on the table, laying a small book on it so it doesn’t get blown away. You stare at it again and concentrate to take a second look. Weird, now it’s clearly Aesir. You pick it up for a closer look and suddenly it’s Jotun again. 

When you touch it, it’s Jotun, when you aren’t touching it, it’s Aesir. You concentrate and think hard about whether you remember anyone actually touching the Aesir prince. No, they dragged him by the chain and if they touched him to get him into the cell it would have just been a quick shove. 

He’s a Jotun stuck in Aesir form! It’s not an enchantment per se, his natural shape shifting ability has been altered to default to Aesir form! But why would they send a Jotun?

Excited you telepathically call to Byleister and tell him to meet you at the prisoner’s cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind words and encouragement. It means a lot :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mystery solved, but many surprises are uncovered

“I think I have him figured out” you tell Byleister as he walks up to the cell. 

“Do you?” the prisoner interrupted from the back of his cell “I highly doubt that”

“Come here”, you demand of the Aesir prince. 

He raises an eyebrow and makes no move to get up from where he’s sitting at the back wall. 

“You can get up on your own or I will call a guard to come in and carry you”

He slowly gets up and walks arrogantly to the bars. 

“You’re right, you’re not enchanted. You’re stuck. Do you know what I’ve figured out?”

“No, please enlighten me oh wise little monster”. He answered in his silky tone. 

“Interesting that you call me a monster” you say with a smile. You start reciting a spell that will nullify the spell forcing him to default to Aesir form. 

A look of horror crossed his face as he understood what your spell was going to do. “No!! No!! Please!!”

Slowly his skin started to turn blue and his bright green eyes lost their whites as they turned red on red. His fingernails turned black and sharp and long, curved horns grew from his forehead to about two feet above his head. Family ridges started to form on his face, identical to Byleister’s. This part you weren’t expecting, but you should have, he could only have been one person. 

“What is this?” Shouted Byleister, angry and confused. 

The Aesir mage was now a Jotun full mage, and his family lines designated him as a son of Laufey. 

You told Byleister to go get the King. He ran. 

You couldn’t stop staring. This was impossible. This was horrible. This couldn’t be right. He wasn’t just any Jotun. 

The prisoner stared at his hands in horror. His red eyes welled with tears that didn’t quite spill over. One hand went up to touch a horn and he took a quick breath that sounded almost like a sob and whispered “no, nooo!”. 

The King followed by Farbauti and several guards entered the room. Someone gasped. Farbauti growled. 

“What is the meaning of this?” The king demands of you. “What have you done?”

“Your majesty I only revealed what was hidden from us” you answer quickly. 

“Loki” said Farbauti in a low growl as she approached the bars. Loki backed away quickly, as would anyone when they had the attention of the vicious Farbauti General. 

Her red eyes seemed to glow as she stared at him. She bent down to get a better view of his face as he tried to hide-but there was nothing in the cell to give him cover. She growled again and snarled “this one is mine, this is my lost child, what has that Aesir scum done to him to make him our enemy? I will have the Allfathers head as a trophy on my wall!!” She roared, sharp teeth bared. 

“Mother! Please calm down we don’t have all the information yet” commanded Helblindi. You were amazed that he was able to keep so calm and controlled while his brother and mother were so enraged. 

Farbauti roared again. “We should attack as soon as possible!”

“Mother, you may get your warriors ready, but you move forward at my command, at the order of your King and not before.” said Helblindi

Farbauti General growled again, never having taken her eyes off of Loki. She bowed her head in obedience to her son the King and left the dungeon to assemble her army. 

“What do you have to say for yourself, brother,” said Helblindi King evenly. “You murdered our father and burned a path of death and destruction through the city. Tell me, what do you think we should do with you?”

Loki was still staring at his hands in horror. He looked up at Helblindi, the height different made the action slow and dramatic. Their eyes met for only a second before Loki’s darted away. He stared at the wall and then at Byliester. Then his gaze dropped to you. 

“It’s true, I am a monster” he said looking at you

“You will address the King and answer his questions” you advise. 

Loki looked back up to Helblindi. “Laufey deserved to die. I have no love for him. He had no love for me or he wouldn’t have cast me out to die that day”. 

“He thinks we kill infant mages by letting them freeze to death” Byliester told Helblindi. 

The King looked horrified. “Who told you this lie?”

“My fath... the Allfather. He told me that he found me after the war and took pity on me. He took me to Asgard and raised me as his son. But it was all a lie- and I see there may be more lies yet for me to uncover, but I don’t know who to trust any more”.

“We don’t kill children” spat the king in disgust. We don’t kill our parents and we don’t kill innocents. Is this how the Aesir raised you? I think our mother may be right about attacking those monsters” 

You feel a jab of fear in your stomach. You aren’t ready to go to war, you aren’t ready to be the kings mage and you just aren’t ready for any of this. 

“That monster is NOT my mother!” The prisoner yelled. Now tears really started to flow from his newly red on red eyes. 

Helblindi stared at him with a mix of disgust and curiosity. Byleister was now unreadable. 

“I will check on mother”, said Byliester

“Thank you brother” said Helblindi. “I will retire to my chambers. I need to think” and they turned and left the dungeon. Leaving you alone with Loki. 

“You are a full mage and the son of a king” you tell him. “You were a great gift to our people, they rejoiced at your birth. You disappeared when the temple was attacked. Everyone thought you died, it was yet another cruel blow when the war ended. I have no idea what they will do with you now”. 

“I am not Jotunheim’s savior, I-“

“Clearly not!” You interrupt aggressively. “Do you have any idea what you have done? Besides killing your own father, the King, You vaporized the entire temple, nearly 100 half mages lived there- you destroyed Jotunheim’s magical population. Except me and your brother Byliester. Not to mention the families and land you vaporized.”

“I’m not sorry. I intended to destroy the entire planet and every single Frost Giant on it”. 

“We are Jotnar” you correct him “Frost Giant is the name the Aesir call us”

“I AM Aesir!! I’m not one of you monsters!” He cried. 

You just stare at his blue face and tall horns and shake your head. He’s actually very attractive now that he’s shifted to his natural form. He has high cheekbones, brilliant red eyes and his horns are magnificent. You catch yourself admiring him and wrinkle your nose in disgust at your thoughts. 

“Even you look at me with disgust! I am a monster to monsters!” He lamented. 

“You vaporized everyone and everything I knew in my life. I can’t even go to the site to pay respects to the dead because you melted the rock underneath the ice and it’s still too hot to touch. Yes I think you are a monster, it doesn’t matter what form you take”. 

At that you turn to leave. 

“Sorceress! Don’t leave yet! What is your name?”

You stop and turn around to look at him with a little pity. You tell him your name. 

“Are we the same?” He asked “I’m small because of my power?”

“We are both full mages” you tell him. “But we are NOT the same”. At that you turn to leave the dungeon. 

You’ve had enough over the past few days. You take one last look back at Loki and teleport yourself into your mountain chamber. 

It is exactly as you left it, it has no trace of the horrors of the past few days, it’s sealed from the world and safe from it. There are even a half dozen magic books you have sneaked in there, those will come in handy. You throw yourself into a pile of furs in a corner and roll onto your side facing the wall. You trace the intricately carved knotwork with your finger. It’s very soothing. You let your mind empty and focus only on the feel of the stone artwork on your fingertip and the click of your claw as it taps over the high spots. You fall asleep. 

There is no natural light in the chamber, only the light you create so you have no idea how late it is when you wake up. You run your fingers quickly through your hair and teleport back to the castle. Your stomach is rumbling and you hope you did not miss the evening meal. 

You get to the dining hall and to your relief dinner hasn’t been served yet. You walk quickly over to the heavily cushioned chair next to Byleister and he helps you up. 

“Nice of you to join us” he laughed. 

You flinch a little at the teasing and look over to the King and Farbauti. She is talking to the king about Loki, no surprise there but at least it’s not about attacking Asgard. 

She wanted time alone with him inside the cell, but the King is not having it. Since Loki is an enemy and a full mage he doesn’t want his mother- brave and strong as she may be, to risk being alone with him. 

“He is my son, just as you are” growled Farbauti. You wondered if the woman ever spoke without growling. She was a frightening creature. “He has cuffs to dampen his seidr, he can’t harm me with magic and physically he’s half my size.”

“Mother, I will allow it only if our Sorceress accompanies you. If anything gets out of hand she should at least be a match for him.” 

That you didn’t know for sure. You weren’t even completely done with your training and you had no idea what he knew or how powerful he really was. 

The king looked at you and said “ tomorrow you will accompany Farbauti General to the dungeons to speak with her son in depth. You are to watch him carefully for any sign of his power and make sure that the General is safe”. 

“Yes Your Highness” you bowed your head in his direction. Fortunately the food was being served and you could focus your attention there. More cubes of raw fish and sea fruit. You were hungry and ate your fill. 

After dinner you went back to your suite and took a bath. The water was warm from a hot spring, but not too hot. You spent some time reading books on Aesir culture and then crawled into a pile of soft furs on the giant bed to sleep. 

Early In the morning one of Farbauti’s huge men knocked on the door to wake you up. You had him wait in the sitting room while you got dressed, another black robe, this time you found a maroon cord to tie it with. You brushed your hair, splashed your face and took a deep breath before greeting the large man waiting in the sitting room. 

“I have not broken my fast” you frowned. 

“The General intends to breakfast with the pris... her son” the large man grimaced. “The prisoner” he corrected himself again. 

“Don’t worry” you assured him, “I understand”

You walked silently to the dungeon. When you got there Farbauti was already there. She had dressed much more softly than you had ever seen her before, in a soft gray gown with an Empire waist and swirly embroidered gold design at the hem. Her black hair was loose and cascaded softly down her back. She was actually quite lovely if you didn’t think about it too hard. Only her tall sharpened horns gave her away, they curved back like the prisoner’s, he must have gotten that from her. 

“Good”, she said “you are here, Sorceress. Guard open the cell and let us in”

If the guard had any opinions about the General visiting the strange murderer he managed to keep it off of his face. 

“Bring us a table and three chairs” Farbauti instructed the guard. 

The guard and three others brought the requested furniture and locked the cell door with you and the General inside. 

Loki was sitting on the floor in the back of the cell. He still looked pretty put together for someone who didn’t have access to a hairbrush or clean clothes. He got up and looked up at Farbauti. 

“You are not my mother” he said quietly. “My mother is a tiny Aesir woman with strong seider. You are just a big monster”. 

You brace yourself for Farbauti’s reaction but she surprises you. 

“I am your birth mother,” she said in a silky alto that you couldn’t believe was coming from her. “and you are ahead of yourself if you think I’m am choosing to call you my son. You killed my husband, your father and you killed innocents. I may choose not to claim you”. 

Just then some servers brought breakfast on some trays. The guards let them in. There was seafruit and bread made from a hearty grain that grew in the tundra to the south. There were also thin slices of raw fish to put on the bread. Glasses of water to drink. You waited politely for the General to start. 

Loki was staring at the food and looking rather queasy. “Do you ever cook anything?” He asked? 

You looked to Farbauti to do the talking and she said “sometimes, we will cook it from a frozen state, but if it’s fresh we see no reason to compromise the flavor.”

She picked up a piece of bread and gingerly placed a piece of fish on it. You did the same. Loki hesitated, you could see he wasn’t happy but hunger got the best of him and he took a piece of bread and put some fish on it.

He must have found it acceptable because he ate three slices. He said nothing. 

The servants cleared the table, leaving the water. Farbauti gazed at the prisoner intently for a couple minutes. 

“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you myself” she said. 

“I can’t. To be honest I’m not sure why I’m still alive, or why you fed me.”

“I want to know what was done with you. Why did the Allfather take my child, most who knew who and what you were would have killed you right then.”

“He claimed it was to unite the kingdoms and create and everlasting peace, but I don’t believe much of anything he told me anymore.”

“Hmmm. Why did you kill my husband? Your father?”

“He was not my father, but neither is Odin. I have no father, but at the time I thought that if I saved Odin from being killed by Laufey that I would earn his love and respect. That wasn’t the case, there was nothing I could do. Odin never intended to love me as a son

“But you believe that the Aesir Queen is your mother?”

“She comforted me when I was sad and taught me her magic. She loved me regardless of my size or my lack of interest in fighting.”

“I will spare her life then” Fárbauti said abruptly. 

Loki looked at Farbauti in horror. 

“I will not allow anyone to kill you” Farbauti said as though she were discussing the weather. “You are mine, my child. If you are to die it is my responsibility to remove you from this world.” She stood up as if ready to end the meeting. 

You called to the guards to remove the furniture. 

Suddenly Farbauti reached down to Loki and scooped him up into her arms. She hugged him tightly and you tried not to laugh at the horrified and confused look on his face. He tried to struggle but she was strong and had a good grip on him. 

“You are mine and I mourned you. You were wanted and celebrated. You were stolen from me and I will have my revenge. Even if I must take my revenge on you, know that I have always loved you, my son”. 

You backed away, this unexpected side of Farbauti was too intimate and you felt like an intruder. 

She set him down and he quickly moved to the back of the cell. She turned to leave and you followed, calling the guards to lock the cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the encouragement


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More mother and son, Helblindi tells his subjects that the mage prince is back and Loki gets a bath.

You realize that if he hadn’t been stolen as an infant he would have the position you are holding now. You wish it was anyone else but you, you know you are over your head. 

If the General gets her wish and Jotunheim attacks Asgard it will be your responsibility to get the troops there. You will need to open a portal. You’ve never done that... it was something you would have been taught eventually, but no one was in a hurry. No one imagined you would need this skill so soon. 

Oh you could teleport yourself, and shapeshift into several creatures, you could even throw some pretty powerful fireballs, but none of these things would move troops. 

You headed back to the dead royal mages suite. She certainly would have had some sort of book on this, this would be a standard skill for a royal mage, right? 

You decide you should take the books back to your rooms, it felt wrong to keep coming here. You waved your hand and imagined the spot in your room that you wanted the bookcase and it disappeared. You followed it back to your suite. 

Back in your room you selected a book and sat down to study. You hear a knock at the door. It’s Byleister, his brow is furrowed and his eyes look dark. He’s not happy. 

“Mother is acting strangely,” he said. “She told Helblindi that no one could kill the prisoner but her, that he’s under her protection. How can she protect that monster! She should be thinking up ways to torture him!”. 

“Loki is your brother. She’s a woman and a mother, she carried him and she mourned his loss. I was very surprised to see that side of her, but it’s there and it’s as strong as her military side, I wouldn’t cross that side of her either.”

“She wants to attack Asgard and get her revenge on the Allfather! She says he stole him and weaponized her child. That it’s not Loki’s fault”

“I know” you say, pointing to the book on the table, “I’m not ready for this, I’m afraid of disappointing her. I will be called upon to open a portal for the troops”

“What? No! We don’t want to do this”. 

You stare at him. You wonder if he has any idea the danger others put themselves in by disappointing his mother. “I’m the royal mage now, this is something I need to know how to do whether she invades or not, it’s my job.” You look away “I miss my teachers so much”

“Yes, I miss them too” Byleister sympathized. “We just have to figure out what we can on our own.” 

“I bet that murderer knows how to make a portal. I bet he knows all sorts of things. The Aesir Queen taught him and she is very masterful” you inform Byliester 

“Good thing he has those cuffs, I’ll help you look through the books, hopefully you won’t need to do this” he said walking over to the shelf and easily reading the books on the top shelf. He picks a fat one and sits down to page through it. 

“Thank you, Byleister, I’m glad you’re here” you say. 

Byleister made a rude noise and you laughed, it was good to laugh. Then you both quietly read through the books. 

***

The next day when you looked in the closet you decided that it was time for you to look like a royal mage, not a lost student. You felt this would help your confidence. 

Maroon was the color of your seidr, so you decided on a maroon gown rather than a loose students robe. It was rather plain with gold cord tying the bodice and it had long bell sleeves and a long cowel. You looked in the mirror. You touched your horns, they curved around and down like a rams, the points were level with your cheekbones and they were polished to a shine. Maybe you should sharpen them, or maybe put gold tips on them. You conjured the gold tips and admired your reflection. It would do until you could spend more time on it. You would need armor if the king allows Farbauti to attack, you would work on that later. 

Someone knocked at your door. It was one of Farbauti’s soldiers. He told you that the General had requested your presence. 

You took a deep breath and followed him to the entrance to the dungeon where Farbauti was waiting, dressed in a flowing white gown with a blue sea flower pattern. Again she didn’t look intimidating if you didn’t know who she was. 

“We shall break fast with the prisoner again”. She said. 

The guards brought the table and chairs and you sit next to Farbauti. Loki gazes drowsily at the two of you. 

“You aren’t my mother, big monster” he says lazily “I assume it’s morning again, so good morning little monster, I see you tried to make yourself more presentable for me, very nice of you but you are still a monster” 

You hold your breath and wait for the General’s wrath, but it doesn’t come today either. You ignore his comment about your attire. 

“If you won’t call me “mother” you will call me Farbauti General. Or Just General and you know the Sorceress’s name” she said evenly. “Now get up and sit at the table.”

He narrowed his eyes and sat still. Then slowly started to rise. He just stood there for a few seconds and then started straightening his clothing and running his fingers through his hair and pushing it back behind his ears. Finally he decided to come sit with them. 

“I’m still deciding whether I need to remove you from this world, you’d be best to be more agreeable” a hint of a growl was in her voice, this was the closest to the Farbauti you were used to that you had seen her show him. 

He didn’t show any reaction. After a moment he said “This is not my world, I am a monster, but I do not belong here. I have no home and no family”.

“What if you could?” Said Farbauti “not that it would be easy, you murdered your own father and killed hundreds of innocents, but you are my son and you belong to Jotunheim.”

“I was born to be king! I’ve spent hundreds of years in the shadow of Thor, do you think I want to live in Helblindi’s shadow? It may be a larger shadow but that makes no difference” he scoffed. 

“You are a full mage of great power, you could have brought Jotunheim back to its old glory. I want to believe that is still possible.”

He looks at her with what looks like pity. “I would never help this world of monsters” 

You breathe a sigh of relief as the guards let in servants carrying trays of food. More fish and bread. Your mouth waters, you are very hungry. 

“Feeding me more of your cat food? Are you hoping I will rid your realm of mice?”

You try not to shake your head and wait for the General to start. Instead her hand flashes quicker than your eye can follow and she grabs Loki by the horn like a child and pulls him halfway over the table. “You will watch your tongue or I will be making my final decision earlier than planned”

His look of surprise was almost comical and you did your best not to let out a giggle to relieve the stress. She slowly pushed him back and let go of his horn. She put a plate in front of him and piled it with fish and bread. “I see I will need to start from the beginning and treat you like a child”. 

You realized that she intended to breakfast with him daily, you hoped that at some point soon your presence would not be necessary. 

After the plates were cleared and the furniture was removed she scooped him up in a hug again, Loki tried to avoid her but she was too fast. “I love you, my child, don’t make me have to kill you, because I absolutely will” she whispered into his ear. 

When she put him down she looked at you and instructed you to get him some pillows and blankets and to take him to bathe. You are to find him some clean clothing and books to entertain him. You aren’t pleased to be comforting the man who killed your teachers and destroyed your home but you wouldn’t dare question General Farbauti. 

You wait for her to leave and conjure some blankets and pillows from the linen cabinet near your room. You fling them to the back of the cell where he usually lurks. You want to get this over with quickly, you’ve already spent too much time in his presence this morning. 

You call for a guard to chain him so you can walk him to the hot springs that are used for public bathing. You bring the large guard with you, mostly for Loki’s protection because pretty much everyone on the planet except Farbauti wants to kill him. 

He walks quietly, you assume from his fastidious mannerisms that he relishes the idea of a bath and isn’t going to fight you right now. 

You get to the bath and it’s mostly empty. That’s good, you think. You have the guard help him undress, the chains are in the way and you want them on him again after he is undressed. He may be pretty but you shudder at the thought of touching such a monster so you are glad for the guards help. 

“Enjoying the show, little Sorceress?” He said with his arms open to display himself. You roll your eyes and shake your head.

“Just get in the water, murderer”, you command. 

“Oh but you know my name, don’t you little sorceress?”

“Loki, get in the water now!” You growl. 

You hand him some soap and a sponge and watch him carefully step into the warm water. You don’t like being put into this position. Nudity is generally no big deal, but since he is a prisoner and a full mage you have to watch him closely, which feels awkward. 

He washes his hair and seems to have trouble washing around his horns, they are foreign to him and he keeps bumping them. 

He finishes and you give him a towel to dry off and set down a traditional outfit of a kilt, vest and boots, now that he’s in his natural form he no longer needs to bundle up, his Jotnar body is designed to handle the cold. You give him a little oil and tell him to rub it onto his horns. He hesitates but his vanity gets the best of him and he complies. His horns need polishing but you aren’t going to deal with that. He can figure that out himself though he will need help for the tips which his hands don’t reach. Maybe Farbauti will groom him since she seems to want to treat him like a child. 

You examine his magic dampening cuffs to make sure that they weren’t damaged by the soap and water. They look good, they are made of a hard metal and the runes are securely etched into them. 

You walk back to the dungeon with the prisoner now looking every inch a mage prince. He attracts curious looks and whispers from the few people you pass, but no one is expecting a Jotun full mage so they don’t react to him as being the murderer. 

Once you get him locked back into his cell you conjure a stack of books. You deliberately provide him with the dullest fiction and children’s books you can think of, plus a dictionary for good measure. 

He’s actually very handsome now that he’s clean and properly dressed. For some reason that makes you even more disgusted by him. At least Farbauti will be pleased. 

***

Helblindi decided that it was time for the general population to know what happened with the prisoner. The people were getting restless wondering when they would see the murderer punished. 

He addressed the crowd from a large ornate balcony made of ice with Farbauti on his right and you and Byleister on his left. 

Farbauti had changed into her armor and her hair was tied severely back. She was a vision to strike fear in anyone, even her own. 

Helblindi stepped up to the balcony railing. “People of Jotunheim, our mage prince has been returned to us”. At that moment two large guards brought Loki out in his chains. The crowd exploded in excited cacophony. You could make out questions being screamed up to the king. 

Loki stood straight and scowled hatefully at the crowd. 

“Asgard stole him from the temple as an infant and raised him to be our enemy. He turned their bifrost at our planet and vaporized innocents, he assassinated our king. He should be executed but General Farbauti sees value in keeping him alive. We will keep him for what we can learn from him”

The crowd roared again, angry and lusting for blood. 

Helblindi turned and walked back into the castle.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re over your head. Farbauti unexpectedly gives you some help.

Helblindi called everyone into the council chamber after the announcement

“Something must be done, the Asgardians can not get away with this. Surely they knew we would figure out his true identity.” Said Helblindi 

“I will slay the Allfather myself”, growled Farbauti “he turned my son into a weapon to use against us. Sorceress, how quickly can you summon a portal big enough to march my army through?”

Fear clenched your belly, you had to tell her the truth, getting caught in a lie could only be a disaster. “Farbauti General, please remember that I was not finished with my studies when the bifrost destroyed the temple. I do have the power to summon such a passage, but I will need time to practice the skill”. 

Farbauti answered with a low growl of disappointment. “Please make that practice a priority” 

“We don’t know what they are thinking. They may be expecting us” Said Helblindi, “Their watcher could be listening right now. Sorceress, can you shield us from him?”

Now you are really over your head. “Your majesty, that is a very advanced skill, I believe only the mage prince has mastered it”. 

Helblindi was silent. Your stomach tied itself in knots. You had no business at this table. You wanted to run. 

“You must find a way to get that knowledge from him” Helblindi said. 

You glanced at Farbauti and saw her nod her head. “That is your priority, Sorceress.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” you bowed your head at Helblindi, then to Farbauti you say “yes General”. 

***

You left the council chamber and started towards the dungeons. No idea how you were going to do this. Your stomach turning again at having to spend time with Loki. You had no idea how you would convince him to help you. Maybe if there was something he wanted, but anything he could have Farbauti had provided and everything else was forbidden to a prisoner. 

“Sorceress! To what do I owe this extra appearance of your frightful face?” Sang the prince. 

“The King, your brother has assigned me to speak with you, you owe this to him, your mother, the General, is also involved.”

“They are not my family!! I have no family! And I owe them nothing!” He spat. 

“What about the Aesir Queen, did she not teach you your magic? Do you not consider her family?”

“Do not speak of her you foul beast” he warned. “She is not my mother but she is dear to me”. 

You were getting pretty tired of him calling you a monster and a beast, considering his actions. You took a deep breath and tried to think. 

“Has the General made you comfortable? Do you like your books?” You try pathetically. 

“What? I’m locked in a cell by monsters, fed cat food and these books are for children”. 

“Perhaps we can make a trade” you decide to get right to the point. 

What could I have that you want, monster? I’m in a dungeon. Would you like this dictionary? Perhaps a pillow?

“Knowledge” you tell him. 

“You want me to teach you? Are you stupid as well as ugly? You are very young, how is it that one so inexperienced ascended to the station of the King’s Mage?”. 

“You killed all the others!” You almost shout. You just don’t think this is going to work. 

He smirks. “I did, didn’t I? Too bad I missed you. And isn’t that other creature you wrongly call my brother a mage? Have him teach you, little monster”. 

“Byleister is a half mage and while he is older than I am, he can’t really teach me anything. He helps me research, but that’s it.” You inform the mage prince “I can get you food that you might like better, what do you prefer? What would you like to read... How do you block the watcher from spying on you?”

The prisoner laughed softly. “Sorceress that will take more than a few steaks and a good book”. 

“What would you require?”

“Remove the cuffs”

“No” you say simply. “Can he see you now?”

“Of course! My magic is dampened. Are you as stupid as you are ugly? He can see me, whether he chooses to is a different story. They never cared much for me, I doubt they care what you do to me, they may even just assume me already dead. The Queen may ask him about me, maybe.”

“Why do you fight us so if they treated you with such neglect? Your mother the General longs to bring you back to the family, your brother the King dreams that you could bring our planet back to glory”

“Deaf as well little beast?”

You forcefully remind him that you have a name, you’ve had about enough of this. 

“Fine!” And he spits your name back at you, over pronouncing and making you cringe “the monster has a name. And Farbauti General is not my mother!” He over pronounces her name as well “She may have spawned me, but I will never give that beast from Hel that place In my heart” 

You stare at each other, his eyes are a very pretty shade of red, why are you noticing that? He’s such an ass. You break contact and turn to leave. 

“Giving up so soon?”

You ignore him and once out of his sight you teleport to your mountain chamber, you need to recharge for a few hours. 

You wonder if the watcher can see you now, whether he considers you a threat or just too unskilled to be of any concern. 

***

When you get back to your suite in the palace you find that you are being moved. The Royal family has decided to put the prisoner in a well guarded suite with you on one side and Farbauti General on the other. You aren’t especially pleased with this. How are you going to negotiate for information if they keep giving him things? 

Your new suite is even bigger than the first one, but there is a door between yours and Loki’s. You verify that it’s locked and then consider pushing a heavy dresser in front of it, but change your mind and just put a spell on it to keep it from opening. 

You hear the sounds of chains in the hallway, they are bringing him into his suite.

You feel a little guilty for hiding in the mountain, if you had been available you could have argued against this. As it is you need to know what is going on, you really should consult with Farbauti, but you chicken out and call telepathically to Byleister. 

After a couple minutes there’s a knock at your door, you expect Byleister and beckon him to enter, but to your surprise and discomfort it’s Farbauti General. 

“Where were you, Sorceress? We needed you” she said with a slight but clear underlying growl. 

“General, I had a difficult time trying to negotiate with the pris... with Loki. I retreated to a quiet place to think and recharge. Next time you can’t find me just call out to me and I will hear you.” 

The General doesn’t blink an eye, you hope that’s good enough. “Did you get any information from him?”

“Just that the watcher can see him now, but that he doesn’t think they care enough to ask how he fares. I tried to propose a trade, but there doesn’t seem to be anything that he wants.”

“This may take more time that I would like” said the General. “My warriors are ready to attack on my word. How about the portal, sorceress, any progress there?”

“No, and I won’t start that until I can shield from the watcher, there is no stealth in creating a portal as he watches” 

Farbauti nods in agreement and turns and leaves the suite. 

***

The next day you are served breakfast in your suite. You are relieved that you don’t have to break your fast with Farbauti and Loki again. 

You look through the books and you get an idea... if you can open a small enough portal for just yourself, perhaps you can sneak into Loki’s former quarters in Asgard and get to his books, and perhaps there is something there that you can barter for information, or even find what you need directly. 

You start concentrating on finding a small portal, but just then you sense Farbauti calling you. You teleport to her as you promised. 

You are shocked to find that she’s just next door, she is sitting on a huge heavily cushioned chair in Loki’s sitting room, she has him on the floor at her feet facing towards you and she has a polishing cloth in her hand, she is polishing his horns like he is a child. He doesn’t look happy but he looks resigned to cooperate with the much larger giant. 

You want to laugh, but you’re pretty sure that wouldn’t go over well with either of them. 

“Good morning General, what do you need from me?” 

She stopped polishing and grabbed one horn and gave it a slight shake. “Tell her!”

“A combination of runes written on your person with hide you from Heimdall.” He says. 

“And what would those runes be?” You ask. 

He smirks and is quiet. 

Farbauti shakes his horn again, this time harder. “Tell her!”

He sighs and recites a list of runes. It makes sense. You thank him and nod your head in a partial bow to the General. 

“Do not put them out of order or you will bring his attention directly to you” Loki warns as you leave. 

You wonder how Farbauti managed to get that information out of him, but decide that you really don’t want to know. 

Now to test it to make sure it’s not a trick. 

You go outside and look for a creature. Not many animals are out yet, it’s still too cold. You see an ice squirrel running across the path and you send a calling spell to it. It comes to you, shaking in fear. You pick it up and pet it’s soft fur. “You’re ok little guy, hopefully” and you tie a collar with the runes in careful order on his neck. You let him go and watch him. He seems ok, just trying to kick the collar off with his hind leg. You watch him for a while, then put a spell on him so that you can find him again and go back to your suite. 

The next day you go out to call the squirrel, you bring him some bread from your breakfast as a thank you. He looks fine and snatches the bread and runs. 

So you carefully write the rune on the inside of your wrist. It doesn’t feel any different. You wonder if he watches you closely enough to notice that you are no longer visible. 

Now to summon a portal to Asgard. Perhaps you should do some reconnaissance. 

You look through your books- they are your books now, the previous mage is dead. She’s not coming back. You find the one that Byleister bookmarked for you. It looks like what you need. 

Should you go outside? Probably not a good idea to mess around with this in the castle. You gather up what you need and you go for a walk on the palace grounds. 

It’s beautiful outside. The ice is sparkling and the air is clear. You pass a frozen pond and look through the ice cover at the sleeping ornamental fish. They will wake up in the spring when little gaps thaw in the ice cover, it never completely thaws but enough things blow or drop into the water to keep the fish fed. There are no trees, you have to go pretty far south to find trees, but there are ornate semi permanent ice carvings maintained by the castle grounds keepers. You decide to leave the grounds completely and wander into ice desert beyond. 

There are boulders of smooth ice laying around like they were left by a playing child. You walk towards a particularly large pile of them, this seems like a good location. A portal will be easier to summon if it has a clear entrance and exit. 

You clear your mind and gather your seidr. You point the palms of your hands at the opening in the ice and they start to glow maroon. You speak the words written in the book, then you walk into the ice. You’re just in a little closet sized ice pocket. It didn’t work. 

You look at the book again and realize that you skipped an entire line. You wish you had more experience, this seems like a novice mistake and even you are past that. 

You point your palms at the opening again and focus. When the maroon glow begins again you say the words. All of them this time. The opening starts to shimmer. You throw a snowball in and it disappears. 

You realize that you didn’t specify where exactly the other side went to, just Asgard. You’re very excited and decide to jump in for a second anyway. 

First you shift into an Aesir form, a Jotun appearing out of nowhere would be a huge mistake. It’s very cold, Aesir are not made for Jotunheim springtime, or summer for that matter. Your discomfort with the cold helps to push you through the portal.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgard

The first thing you notice is that it’s really hot. Then you see that you are surrounded by plants, many fantastic varieties growing in well kept patterns, you are in a garden. 

You hear voices in the distance. Women and young girls. You carefully walk towards the voices, making sure not to disturb the thick foliage and make yourself known. You hide motionless in some large bushes with tiny pink flowers and see about 10 women on benches and chairs. Each one has cloth in her hands and is decorating the fabric with threaded needles and colorful thread, their work is very pretty. One is in a position of honor, she is older and wears a delicate circlet on her head, her golden hair in elaborate curls and braids flows down her back. The Aesir Queen. 

You stay where you are and try to untangle the different conversations. They are mostly gossip- talking about a warrior that the young girls like or just discussions about the needlework they are working on or complaints about other girls. 

Finally you luck out and one of the older girls asks the Queen if she had any news about prince Loki. 

The Queen looks very sad, she says that he is still alive and that the Frost Giants appear to be treating him better than they had expected. Aside from being a prisoner he had not suffered any punishment or injuries as of yet. 

The girl apologized for upsetting the Queen and said she was happy to hear that he was not being harmed. The Queen thanked her for her concern. 

So the watcher was reporting to the Queen, at least. Did the women there know that their prince was a Jotun? You suspect that they have no idea. 

You stood there for a little longer and the women started folding up their work and taking their leave. When they were all gone but the Queen you turned quietly to go back through your little portal. 

Suddenly you felt a blade biting at your throat and small but strong arms held you still. It was the Queen! She must have teleported to you because you didn’t hear a thing. 

“Who are you and why are you spying on an embroidery circle? Surely there must be something more interesting for you to watch”. The Queen said sternly. 

You couldn’t speak, your brain was just a panicked jumble. You were caught off guard and had not even considered the possibility of being seen. To be fair you were shifted to Aesir form and few would have seen you as anything more than a stranger. It would take someone with the amount of power and skill as the Queen to have caught you, but naturally you ported yourself right into her innocuous looking sewing circle 

“I... I...”

“Show yourself shape shifter” commanded the Queen. 

You were still frozen in place. You felt her power start to unravel your Aesir form, slowly you lose control of your shape and you are standing there in your natural form in the stifling heat of Asgard. The tiny Queen was barely able to reach her knife to your neck now, but she still held it there firmly, not quite drawing blood, but the slightest move would change that. 

“A Jotun,” the Queen said to herself, “you are very young, aren’t you? Are you a child? How did you get here, child?” She withdrew her dagger and turned you around to face her, danger still in her hand and ready to strike. “No, you’re not a child at all, are you? You’re a full mage. We thought you were all killed. Who are you? What are you doing here!?”

Your mind is just blank. You try to think. You start to shake and you tell her your name and you instantly realize that was a bad idea. You are failing badly!!

The Queen repeats your name slowly, like she’s heard it before and can’t quite place it. “You are strong but you lack confidence, did you create that portal over there? You didn’t even try to hide it, did you?” 

“My teachers are all dead, only me and one half mage survived the attack. Everyone I knew is dead, I have only books that were not at the temple, I have to teach myself.”

The Queen looked up at you with empathy in her sky blue eyes. “I’m very sorry that happened, my son was out of control with grief and rage. Your King has him now and he can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

“Our Farbauti General says that he is her son, that’s why he’s not dead, she wants revenge for what was done to her child, but Helblindi king holds her back” You offer. 

“I see” Said the Queen sadly. “I’m glad that she has him under her protection. I would not have expected such mercy from Farbauti General.”

“What are you going to do to me” you blurt out nervously. 

“I haven’t decided” she said gently looking up at you. 

It feels very strange that such a small being can wield so much power, both in seidr and in political position. She barely comes up to your chest. 

“What can you tell me about my son? Surely you have interacted with him, are you not the King’s mage?”

“I am at least in name,'' you admit. “I was able to break the spell that forces him to Aesir form, so now he is in his natural form, which dismays him. The General has breakfast with him daily, he does not acknowledge her as his mother, but she is patient. He hates us, though I believe that he accepts the truth of his origin and hates himself as well. The General has moved him from the dungeons to a heavily guarded suite between us.” You are shocked and ashamed at how much information you have spilled, has the Queen enchanted you or are you really that stupid? She seems so kind. 

“You have told me much, Sorceress. I will let you go if you will deliver a message to my son.” She said. “Tell him that this was not my choice and that I love him and miss him as does his brother”

You realize that she just doesn’t see you as a threat. This could end up to be to your advantage. You promise to relay the message, even though it means admitting to the prince that you were caught. Maybe you can barter some knowledge from him in exchange for relaying messages. You like the Aesir Queen. “I will do that for you”, you say. 

The Queen nods her head and steps back. “You may go now” she says. 

You thank her and walk through the portal. As your feet touch Jotunheim ice you feel the portal crash in on itself. The Queen has destroyed it behind you. 

***

You get back to your suite and pace. You need to get your nerve to relay the message to Loki. Your stomach ties itself in intricate knots at the thought. 

You pick up the general magic book that Byleister was looking through. You leaf through the chapters absently. Then just gather your strength and go. 

You refuse to acknowledge the door between your suites and you walk out into the hallway and the short distance to his door acknowledging the two huge guards on either side of the door with a nod to each. You take a deep breath and knock. 

He calls you to come in. He’s sitting on the full sized chair that Farbauti was sitting in this morning. Even though he is small he is sprawled out territorially with knees apart and forearms on the arms of the chair. His tall curved horns, now beautifully polished by the General, reached to the back of the chair and make him a beat formidable. He should look like a child, but instead he almost looks regal as if sitting on a throne. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, little monster?”

You snort in annoyance and consider just walking out, but you did promise the Queen. 

“I created a portal to Asgard”

“Did you, Sorceress, how lovely” he said sarcastically, but he leaned forward so you could tell he was interested. 

“I met the Queen, sort of” 

his lovely red eyes bore into you now “Really?”

“Well, she sort of captured me, and forced me to revert to my natural form, obviously she let me go”. You blurted awkwardly 

He looked shocked and confused. “Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know, really. She must not feel that I’m a threat”

Now he laughed softly and condescendingly. “No dear little monster, you are no threat at all to Queen Frigga of Asgard, not one bit” and then he laughed to himself. 

This was obvious, but you frowned anyway. “She made me promise to deliver a message to you. She said that this was not her choice and that she loves you and misses you, as does your brother”

“Oh, is that so?” He said angrily. “Did she fight it? Did she even try?! And Thor! I’m sure misses me terribly” he said with poisonous sarcasm. 

You flinch a little “She didn’t mention anything about that, one way or the other”

“She knew all along and kept this from me, she is as guilty as he is! Thor is just an oaf, but better him on the throne of Asgard than a filthy Frost Giant!”

“She does love you, I could see it in her eyes”

“Sentiment. She treated me like her child but it was all a horrible lie! I am nothing but a monster, they told us stories about Frost Giants to scare us”

“Jotnar-“ you tried to remind him but he cut you off

“We played games as children, they would make me be the Frost Giant and hunt me down. No wonder I turned the bifrost on this filthy chunk of ice, I wish I had finished it off!”

You gasped in pain remembering your teacher and everyone you knew who was dead. This was all you were going to take of this topic and you started to leave. 

He jumped down from the huge chair and quickly confronted you, putting his hand on your shoulder to stop you. 

You involuntarily let out a burst of energy and he jerked away holding his hand. 

“I’m sorry, let me see your hand”. 

He held his injured hand to his chest and glared at you, softening just a tiny bit as the situation sunk in. He was powerless against you, even untrained you could just attack him with raw energy and with his magic nullified by the cuffs he could not fight back. He hesitated and then slowly held out his burnt hand. 

You take it in your own and concentrate on putting his skin back to its previous state. It’s not hard to do, but there’s a lot of damaged skin and the injury goes through every layer. When it’s back to its previous state you let go. 

“I should apologize, Sorceress. I won’t apologize for the destruction, but I will apologize for rubbing it into your face. That was unnecessarily unkind.”

“It was” you agree. 

“Would you be willing to go back and give her my response?” He asked. 

“Perhaps, the practice would be good for me,” you sigh. “What do you offer me in return?”

“What you asked for before... Knowledge”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Messages and fashion critique

Was he actually offering to train you? Just for relaying messages? You should talk to the King and Farbauti about this. Or should you... you need a teacher and what if they said no, surely Farbauti would approve though. You’re just going to do this. 

“I will relay messages for you in return for seidr training”

He smiles faintly, “I will have something written tomorrow, come after Farbauti leaves. She is still trying to make me her baby.”

You shake your head, you can barely imagine the ferocious General babying anyone, even an actual baby. “You are her baby”, you say. 

“I am no one's baby! I am nobody, I am just a monster to frighten children” He growls with a scowl on his handsome face. 

You smile and leave. Most children are bigger than he is, somehow you don’t think he will scare very many of them. You think the General will eventually figure out how to win him over, too, she doesn’t take defeat well. 

***  
Byleister passed you in the hallway.

“My new brother is insufferable! He’s a nasty, arrogant pig on top of being a murderer! I can’t stand that my mother is trying so hard to win him over, what exactly does she think she’s going to gain?”

“A very powerful, full mage in the royal family?” You answer

“Someone like him with power is too dangerous.''

“I don’t know, but he is difficult to me too, calls me a little monster and comments on my clothes”. 

“Byleister stops walking, “oh no, he’s attracted to you!” He chuckles. 

“What? No, he treats me like i'm a bug”. 

“Sorceress, you are too small for any of us to court, but you are very beautiful and he’s noticing that. I haven’t heard him do that to any other women.”

“Ugh, sorry, if that’s it, I'm happy to stay celebate”. 

Byleister laughed “Come on! You could be my sister! I always wanted a little sister “ 

“Helblindi’s wife is your sister” you push back at him. 

“She’s full sized, I have to look up at her” Byleister complained. 

“Sorry, no. Byleister I already love you like a brother, you will have to settle for that. Match that beast up with one of your mother’s lieutenants.” You huff. 

Byleister laughs so hard he has trouble breathing. “They’d crush him!” 

“But they would put him in his place when he sassed them, now wouldn’t they?” You laughed. 

“They would at that” Byleister snickered. 

***

The next day you get up and dress yourself in more traditional garb of a kilt, a beaded halter and boots. You have no official tasks today so you see no need to dress up. 

You walk out into the hallway and see Farbauti leaving Loki’s suite. You wonder if she doesn’t have a door between the suites like you do, you would think she would have no problem using it. 

You knock on the door and an irritated voice calls you in. 

He’s pacing and agitated. 

“Something wrong, Prince?” You ask 

“That blue beast will never be my mother!” 

“Careful, first she may hear you and Farbauti General is not someone you want angry with you, and second she did give birth to you and she is currently the only reason you are alive.”

“Why not just kill me? I killed her husband and hundreds of her people, blood bonds can’t be that strong”

“You have a lot to learn about the Jötnar” you say under your breath. “Do you have the message ready?”

“I do” he responded. “You will want to read it, of course, since I am a prisoner”

You took the folded paper from him and scanned quickly over the two paragraphs he had written. His handwriting was distractingly beautiful, which suits him. There was nothing that would be a problem for the queen to know. He basically just told her he was well and complained about the “monsters” and especially Farbauti. You nodded and put the paper in a pocket in your kilt. 

“No gown today little monster, have you tired of me so soon?” He purred sarcastically “I rather liked the maroon one”. 

You try not to cringe visibly. You aren’t dressing for him. 

He looks you up and down for a moment, “that outfit is terrible, you show more skin than an asynja would dare, too bad it’s blue and covered with lines,though” he said mockingly though his eyes seemed to say something else- or were you just listening to Byleister too much?

You shake you head and let him hear the beginning of a growl building in your throat, but you stop it before it gets to full volume. You can’t let him get to you if you are going to learn from him. 

You tell him you will go now and leave his suite before he can say anything else to make you regret your decision. 

***

You decide to go out to the ice desert again to make this portal. You’re pretty sure it would be safe to make one in the palace, but it just feels better to go out here. 

This time you are going to try to make the portal go to a specific location, but the only place you know is that spot in the queen’s garden. That should be as good a place as any to find the Queen, though, so you focus on that location and say the words. This time you get them right the first time. 

Soon you see a shimmering space a few feet away from you. 

You almost forget to shift into Aesir form, but you remember at the last minute and try to look like one of the ladies who was seeing with the Queen last time, hopefully that will make it look like you belong there. 

Freezing in your Aesir form and thin clothing in the Jotunheim snow you walk towards the new portal you created and step through into the warm garden. 

The beautiful garden is empty this time. Looking around you see little squirrels and hear birds chirping. If it weren’t so hot it would be a very pleasant place to just sit and read, no wonder the Queen does her needlework here. 

Maybe your alerting her to your presence would bring her out? Or would she take that as a threat? You didn’t have to think about that long because she suddenly walked around the corner, trailed by two heavily armed Einherjar. She didn’t need any help sensing magical intruders.

They stop several feet away from you and the Queen addresses you by name. “Why have you returned? I know you are the royal mage of Helblindi King, what are you doing in my garden?”

Frozen again you hesitate before clumsily fumbling for the letter. You drop it on the ground and one of the Einherjar picks it up in a flash, you are amazed at his reflexes. He hands the letter to the Queen. 

Taking a deep breath and telling yourself to act like the royal mage of Jötunheim that you are “I bring you a message from Loki Prince” you say. That title is ambiguous enough to claim him for either realm. 

She unfolds the paper and it’s clear from her face that she recognizes his handwriting. She reads through it and sighs. 

“I do not know what will happen to him. He mustn’t upset Farbauti General, no one survives her wrath. Why have you brought me this message, does your king know what you do?”

“No” you say hoping that she won’t press for further information. 

“What has my son promised you?”

You look at the ground, then remember your position and stand tall and look at her face. “He killed my teachers, our magical library was vaporized. He has knowledge I need and offered that as trade”

“Hmm” the Queen mused. Then she reached out her hand and a letter appeared. An Einherjar took it and walked it over and handed it to you. “Now go young one. I will let you keep the portal you made this time.” 

She turned to walk away. One Einherjar stayed and faced you until you turned and walked through the portal. 

***

The Queen’s letter seemed to just say that she missed him, she warned him not to anger Farbauti and told him about little things going on in the family. What his brother was doing and just small talk. You wondered how she composed this so quickly while talking to you and if there were any codes in her words. 

You knock on Loki’s door, he beckons you in. Farbauti is there and they have been arguing. 

“I will not be courted by one of your brutish lieutenants, General. I will not be courted by any woman you try to match me with. If I wanted to marry I would do the courting and I wouldn't choose a giant blue monster”

“My son, if you marry it will make the people feel that you are one of us and they will be less thirsty for your blood, the soldiers I introduced to you are all fine warriors and beautiful women, you are foolish to reject them.”

“I will come back another time” you mumble and head to the door. 

“No, you stay, General please leave”

Farbauti’s eyes flash and she growls. “We are not done with this discussion my son. I do have meetings scheduled so I will be leaving now for that reason” she turned and walked to the door, her severely tied high ponytail waving as she walked. She was in her armor, she had tired of the gowns and soft look she was using to gain his affection, now he was seeing who his mother truly was and it made no difference, he still refused her. 

When Farbauti was gone you pulled the Queen’s letter out of your pocket and handed it to Loki. He seemed surprised that you brought him a response. He read through it quickly. 

“Thank you, little monster” he said softly. His pretty red eyes a little glassy. “I will start your training by testing to see what you already know.”

“I know you can make a portal, and throw fireballs, can you summon objects?”

You hold out your hand and a magic book appears. 

“Ah, so you have at least one book”

“I have the former royal mage’s library” you inform him. 

“Good, we will look through that later”

He asked you about several more simple tasks and you showed him. Once he was satisfied that he understood your skill level he told you to come back the next day and he would have a lesson ready. You were a little disappointed but realized that this would probably be more efficient. 

You turned to leave

“Dress better tomorrow, you look like a savage”

You growled, this time you let it out fully. “Tomorrow I have duties to perform, I will be dressing to suit my position. Otherwise I will dress how I choose”

“You are less frightful in your gown” he said with a smirk, though he was staring at your bare belly. “And don’t growl at me, am I not your prince?”

“You acknowledge this now?”

“Perhaps when it suits me” he purrs

“If it will shut you up and stop your leering perhaps I will consider it. “

“Oh I’m not leering, little monster, I’ve just not seen a woman show so much skin to all”

“You’ve been here long enough to know how we dress.” You snap, exasperated. Why is he so fixated on your clothes?

“Then until tomorrow, your highness” you roll your eyes and leave. 

Once you are in your suite you hear a knock and beckon them in. It’s Byleister. 

“You are spending more time with my beast of a brother” he noted. 

“Yes, he’s insufferable but I think I can learn some magic from him” 

“What did he think of your outfit today?” Byleister smirked. 

“Oh he was repulsive! Commented on my skin color, compared me to Aesir women” you couldn’t help wrinkling your nose in disgust. 

Byleister laughed. “He likes you, too bad for you... sister”

“Stop!” Are you practicing your seidr? Let’s do that together” you say changing the subject. “I should be following up with your training since I’m all we have”. 

“You’re right.” He admits

You spend the rest of the day working with Byleister. He had gotten rusty, you make a plan to work with him daily, Jotunheim needs all the mages it can get. You wonder if there have been any new ones born and how you will train them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No magic lesson today, but you see a surprising new side of Loki

The next morning you put on your maroon gown and stick the gold tips on the ends of your horns. You stare at yourself in the mirror to try to understand what it was that Loki found so remarkable about the gown. It flows over your form without being clingy or blatant. Maroon is the color of your magic, and it is common practice for a mage to dress in their color. The dark red makes your blue skin look a little pale and your ridges stand out- the one designating you as a full mage is prominent on your face, as if your size wasn’t indication enough. 

You think it looks perfectly respectable for your office. You think maybe Loki is just teasing you about it, trying to make you second guess yourself. You will ask Byleister later, he will give you an honest assessment. For now it’s what you have. You will have to have more clothes made in your color soon, and you still need armor you make a note to yourself. 

When you knock on Loki’s door he gets up to answer it. The tall door making him look small, like it does to you. 

“Come in, little monster”. He says, his voice silky smooth. “Good morning”. 

“Good morning, murderer” you respond experimentally. 

He frowns but doesn't take the bait. 

You look behind him and see that Farbauti is still here, you don’t think she heard the “murderer” greeting, or you hope she didn’t. 

“Sorceress, just the person I need to speak to. It’s time for my son to be shown around the city and I think you are the best one to keep him safe. Will you do that this morning? You have several hours before your presence is required at court.”

This is not how you have planned this day to go. The prince owes you some magic instruction. 

“Yes of course, Farbauti General, we can go as soon as he is ready.”

“I really don’t care to see any more of this primitive planet” he grumbled. “But very well, lets go”. 

So no magic lesson today, no magic unless it’s to get you out of a situation. You’re disappointed and not pleased at the idea of spending time with him when there’s nothing in it for you. This is going to be a difficult day. 

He is dressed in an Aesir style tunic and trousers. You tell him to change. It’s bad enough that you will be so obvious as two full mages, you don’t need him insulting the population by reminding them where he came from. 

“I will not go outside dressed as a savage!” 

Farbauti growls low and threatening “You will change as the Sorceress recommends or I will dress you myself, you will be a bold target dressed as an Aesir”. 

His reaction shows that he’s familiar with that particular growl and he quickly excuses himself to his bedroom. When he returns he is dressed in a traditional Jotnar vest and kilt made of fur with green stone beads sewn into it. His hair is pulled back in a high, tight ponytail like Farbauti and Byleister favor. He is quite handsome you think, with a bit of guilt. 

“Much better, my son” Farbauti says as she puts her hands on his shoulders and turns him around to view his back like one would when checking a child who was learning to dress himself. “You look very handsome” she says as she completes tuning him. 

Loki scowls but said nothing. 

“We will leave now, General, good day.” You say as you turn and walk through the tall door without checking to see if the murderous prince is following. 

Once you get outside into the palace grounds you notice he is looking around with interest. You wonder if he’s even bothered to leave the palace before this. 

“Have you toured the palace grounds yet?” You ask. He says nothing so you take that as a “no”. 

You walk him around and point out various sculptures, telling him they are temporary and replaced every fall. 

“Fall? I thought you only had winter here”. He asks. 

“It’s true that our planet is very cold naturally”, you explain. “Before we lost the casket of ancient winters our spring and summer were much milder, we were even able to grow plants in the ground. Now all of our vegetables and fruits come from the oceans.It doesn’t get warm enough now to completely melt the statues, but sometimes they lose a little definition. Also, it's a tradition to make new ones each year. We have a festival for it.”

He hummed noncommittally. “Some of them are actually very beautiful” 

“They are, let me show you my favorite this year” you walk a little faster, past the frozen fish pond and over to a giant elaborate ice Phoenix. “I love this one, look at the detail that was put into it, how they made the flames into crystals. With so many small details this one will be one of the first to go if the temperature goes above freezing”. 

He looks up at it, following the trail of crystals up to the proud ornate bird, his eyes a little softer. “Yes, I agree this is beautiful work, I never would have imagined savages capable of such artistry”. 

You scowl. “Most of the artists are half mages, since you killed all but Byleister there will be few things like this next year. Some of the warriors do it, but their work tends to be monuments to battles, like that one over there” you point to a sculpture in the distance of a Jotun holding an ice spear ready to throw while riding a huge snow cat of some sort. 

“That one is also impressive,” he comments. 

You hum in lukewarm agreement. “Let’s go out into the city now. Please try not to glare or growl at anyone. “

There is a busy market area just outside the palace grounds. You walk past vendors selling sea fruits and fish. The crowd towers over the two of you, your heads are barely at waist level to most of the shoppers. 

You notice some people staring. It’s a little unnerving. You are used to being noticed with curiosity since you are so small and obviously not a child, but you know they are looking at Loki, and they aren’t pleased to see him outside of the palace. 

A man blocks your path. He is broader than most and even a little taller than the other giants. His red eyes burn at Loki as if he could light him on fire “you killed my wife and turned my land to glass!” He snarls threateningly. 

Loki looks like he’s about to make an inappropriate remark so you step over quickly and put your hand on his mouth. 

“Loki Prince is under the tutelage of Farbauti General, he is being rehabilitated so he can serve Jotunheim as he was born to do”. You ad lib quickly and awkwardly. 

Loki looks at you incredulously from under your hand and you make eye contact with him and shake your head sternly. He gives you a slight nod and you let go. 

The man glares at him a couple minutes more and then walks away growling about murderers in the royal family getting away with it, but no one wants to anger Farbauti General, no one is that big and strong. 

“That was close” you say. “It probably won’t be the only incident today. “

You keep walking and you point out the different foods that are being sold and explain how they are procured. 

Loki seems to be bored, but does his best to appear to be paying attention. 

You get to a booth with a particularly sweet sea fruit for sale and buy a bag to share with him. He was hesitant to try them at first but seems to be enjoying them now. 

Along the side of the pathway you see a child crying, frozen tears are beginning to pile at his feet. He is as tall as you are and his short horns give him a few more inches, but still young enough to need an adult with him. 

“Where is your parent, young one?” You ask. 

Loki walks up to him and offers him some of the sweet fruits, “don’t cry little one, we will find your momma” he says with uncharacteristic gentleness. 

The young boy stops sobbing and accepts a fruit, after chewing and swallowing he starts to giggle. “I bigger den you!” he laughs at Loki. “Thank you for fruit, more pwease?” 

Loki laughed and handed him more fruit. The child smiled at Loki. “I wike you widdle man, can you find my momma? Not the wady, want you to find her” he says as he starts to kick at the frozen tears at his feet.

Now that was weird. You normally didn’t have any problems with kids, but this one really takes to Loki over you right away, maybe it was the bribery with the fruit. You start scanning the crowd for someone who might be looking for him. 

You see a woman with two other children a few booths down who looks frantic, you send a little magic to get her attention and then wave her over. 

“Mommy!” Says the child. “Wook at the widdle man I found! He gave me fruit. Can we take him home? Pwease!”

The mother’s red eyes get huge as she recognizes who Loki must be. You quickly tell her that the child is ok, that Loki was just comforting him. She cautiously walks up to them and quickly scoops up the boy and walks swiftly away without a word, her other two children right behind her. You can still hear the child babbling excitedly about the “widdle man”. 

Loki looks sad. 

“You sure are good with kids” you say. “I never would have imagined that from you”. 

“Kids are pure, they can see things that adults have lost the ability to see. I am sorry for any who were harmed by the bifrost” he says, with a frozen tear dropping from his blue cheek. 

You decide this really isn’t the time to speculate how many children were in the path of the bifrost. You know there were a few preadolescent half mages at the temple. Then you have no idea how many lived in the surrounding areas. 

You leave the market area and enter the residential part of the city. The homes appear to be made from thick ice. You explain that they are very old, sometimes generations have lived in them and the walls are indeed ice, several feet thick. The homes appear huge but inside they are often rather small. 

Lately they have all been getting thicker, without the Casket of Ancient Winters it never gets warm enough to melt any of it so they just continue to build up. Eventually they will all run together like little caves in long snowy hills. 

More children are around a corner kicking a ball around. Loki asks to join them and they look at him curiously and then kick the ball in his direction. You stand and watch while he runs around with them, joining in their yelling and laughing. 

He is a different person around children. You wonder how that talent can be utilized. If you could trust him perhaps he could help you teach the young half mages you know are out there somewhere. 

He comes back to you with a genuine smile on his face, his cheeks a brighter blue from the exertion and the cold. You are a little bewildered at the change, and also annoyed to see that murdering bastard happy. 

“It’s time we head back now, I have things I need to do” you tell him. “We will go a different route so you can see the port.”

“Fine” he says falling back into his normal difficult self. 

As you pass the port you point out the different types of fishing boats and the ones used for harvesting the myriad of sea plants that the Jotunheim oceans offer. He nods and uh-huhs without much interest.

Once you are out of the port area you walk back to the castle in silence. You can’t wait to drop him off at his suite.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You become a teacher

You get back and rush to the council chamber. You’re late, Helblindi and Farbauti glance at you with poker faces. You know you have displeased them but you think Farbauti will advise lenience since you were doing what she asked. 

Three half mages have been brought to the palace. They are all very young and currently being cared for by Helblindi’s wife Nal. She is pregnant and is enjoying playing with the little mages. 

You ask for quarters for them, a suite close to yours until a new temple can be built near the palace. You also request a woman to stay with them as a caretaker when you are not teaching them. 

You then tell the king and Farbauti about the lost child you encountered today and how well he took to Loki. You suggest that Loki could help you with some of the lessons, particularly the reading and non magical work. You think it would help him to bond with his new world, since he seems to enjoy children. As much as you dislike him you really don’t have a lot to work with, only you and Byleister. 

The king agrees to all of it and assigns a woman named Glut to care for the children. The suite will be one door down from yours and they will add several bunk beds for any others that show up. You know there will be more eventually. 

The next topic is Farbauti’s desire to invade Asgard. 

“How close are you to creating a portal for my troops?” She asks, her red eyes glowing in full military mode. 

“Soon General” you respond. Perhaps a week. 

Helblindi reminds his mother the General that there will be no invasion until he gives the word. Farbauti doesn’t show the frustration you know she’s feeling. 

“I think we need to get Loki fully acclimated and in our side” Helblindi says. “He will be a great asset if we can trust him. This will take time”. 

You think Helblindi is right, but you’re not sure that will ever happen. 

After more discussion of other topics you are finally free to go. You go straight to the youngster’s suit to meet them and Glut. 

When you get there Glut is alone, fussing over the beds and fluffing pillows. She is a younger woman, full sized of course so your head barely reaches her waist. She has light blue skin and thick sharp horns that stick out on the sides of her head. She smiles when she sees you. 

“Hello Lady Glut” you say “it’s good to meet you”. 

“Thank you, Sorceress, I am very excited about my new position. My brother was a half mage and he was such a wonderful child” 

“I’m very sorry for your loss, Lady Glut, I’m sure he would have been a great man” you say knowing exactly what had happened to the boy, along with every other half mage except Byleister and those too young to leave their mothers. 

The door opened and Nal Queen walked in holding the hands of two half mage children with one walking next to them with her head held high. 

Two of them were a head shorter than you are and the one walking alone is your height. They all have little horns starting to grow on their heads and bright intelligent red eyes. 

The oldest one walks right up to you with a huge toothless grin and bows deeply to you. “I am Jaxarna, I am honored to meet you, my teacher”. She can’t stop grinning even though she is obviously trying to be serious. 

Nal Queen lets go of the other two and puts her hand on each of their backs to guide them to you. “Go meet your new teacher, little ones” 

One turned around and hugged the Queen’s leg. “I want to stay with you!” He protested. 

Glut walked up to him and kneeled down to his level. “What is your name, little one? I am Glut, I will take care of you”

“Baugi” said the little boy. He pointed to the other boy, “that is my brother Suttung”.

“Well Baugi and Suttung, let me show you around your new home.” Glut takes both of their hands and starts to show them around the suite. It has been modified so that there are half mage sized bunk beds along the walls and small desks and chairs in the sitting room. Everything is small sized except for Glut’s bed and a chair for her. 

Nal Queen smiles with her hand on her swollen belly as she watched the children follow Glut. “I will go now, she says, I can see the children are in good hands” 

“Thank you for caring for them my Queen” you say as she walks out the door. 

Before the door is shut Byleister squeezes in

“Hi Sorceress! I see we have some students!

“Yes, this is Jaxarna” you say gesturing to the girl and those two are Baugi and Suttung, along with their caretaker Lady Glut. Children, this is your other teacher, Byleister Prince”

Jaxarna bows low and grins at Byleister “happy to meet you my prince Byleister teacher” she giggles girlishly. 

Byleister looks down to her and smiles “Nice to meet you Lady Jaxarna”

Jaxarna’s face looks like it's stuck in a huge smile, particularly now that she had the attention of a handsome prince. You chuckle gently at the silly little girl. 

The boys are happy staying close to Glut so Byleister walks over to them and greets them as well, then looks up at Glut and introduces himself. 

You say “We will start lessons tomorrow, for today just settle in.”

You smile and leave them. There’s an hour left before dinner, maybe you can get some instruction of your own from Loki. 

He beckons you in when you knock. He’s perched up in the full sized chair in the sitting room, completely owning it like he did the last time you saw him up there. He has a book in his hand and he doesn’t look up from it. 

“What do you require of me, Sorceress?” He asks, still not bothering to look up. 

You decide that you aren’t going to get anything useful out of him today so you decide to just tell him about the half mage children down the hall. 

“Three young half mages were brought to the palace.” You start. “They used to bring them to the temple, but we don’t have a temple anymore” Ok, this isn’t the right direction this conversation should start. You decide to stick with the present situation. 

“We have set them up in a suite down the hall, Byleister and I will train them, would you like to help?”

He looks up abruptly, then puts his book down and slides off the huge chair. “What do you think I am, a nursemaid?” He says sarcastically as he walks towards you, looking you up and down again. 

“The boy today really liked you, I just thought maybe you would enjoy teaching these young ones runes or something. There are two boys about the age of the boy today and a little girl who is a bit older, I think she just missed going to the temple.”

He stops scanning you and his face softens. “Actually I would enjoy influencing these children, perhaps they will grow to be civilized beings”. 

You roll your eyes and shake your head. “Yes, runes and other bookwork would be great. I will come get you after breakfast tomorrow.” You say as you leave, you’ve had enough of him for today, what were you thinking?

In fact, your sanctuary in the middle of the mountain is calling to you and you teleport there. Blissfully empty of annoying princes, small children and any trace of Utgard and your current reality you throw yourself into the pile of furs you brought from the temple. 

It is a pocket lost in time. Both the ancient time it was created and the pre-bifrost time that you found it. 

The furs still smell faintly of incense like the temple. You roll onto your back and send a light globe up to the high ceiling. Higher than a full sized Jotun could reach. It’s beautifully carved in geometric patterns, not stories like on the walls, just mindless beauty to get lost in. 

You start to cry. You hate yourself for working with Farbauti’s evil son. You wish for your teacher and your sibling students who were your family. It feels like a betrayal of them not to burn Loki to ashes himself in a raw magic fireball of maroon that you know you can produce. 

But you don’t indulge yourself in these thoughts for long. It’s not really a luxury that you have. You get up to study the ancient carvings on the walls. You love the stories that they tell. The way they show happy Jötnar actually growing plants in the soil and raising animals. There are still plenty of winter scenes that look more like the Jotunheim that you know, but at least half the scenes show a much more prosperous people. 

A people who had the Casket of Ancient Winters in their power. This was the difference. These scenes were carved long before the war, long before the murderer’s birth and kidnapping. Before the Allfather stole the great artifact that made the difference between a prosperous Jotunheim and the barren rock of ice the Jotnar now called their home. 

You cursed the Allfather in your mind. You wouldn’t dare send a real curse, you were powerful but not anywhere near disciplined enough to pick fights with one as ancient and powerful as Odin Borson. Half Jotun himself from his mother Bestla he was a traitor to his mother's people. You hoped Farbauti got her wish put his head on her wall as a trophy! You wondered if her sheer intensity of Will was enough to make that happen. 

You walked along the perimeter of the chamber letting your claw click against the carvings. Touching them like this and hearing the click made you feel closer to them. Made you think Jotunheim must get the Casket of Ancient Winters back. If Farbauti was to have her war, this must be a priority. 

After a Few more minutes of decompressing within your mountain chamber you return to Utgarde for dinner. 

You are expected to dine with the royal family today. You go back to your suite to freshen up and change your clothes. Your gown would be appropriate but it’s expected that you change. 

You pick a traditional but formal outfit of a halter and a long beaded loincloth. The cloth is maroon and both pieces are embroidered with gold thread and beads in various shades of blue creating an attractive pattern. You splash your face and rub an oil cloth on your horns, replacing the gold tips after. 

You sigh at your reflection in the mirror, but you are actually quite hungry and the royal family always eats well so you walk towards the dining hall. 

You aren’t late, but the family is already seated. Byleister beckons you over to the raised seat next to him with a grin. 

“Busy day today” he says

“Yes, a lot to plan for the young half mages”. You reply. “I have asked Loki to help with their book work in the morning”

Byleister scowled,”I hope you plan to supervise him, I would put nothing past him”. 

“Children seem to like him and we need all the help we can get.'' You remind him. 

Thankfully the food is served and you can drop this subject. Today they have cubes of raw elk and some root vegetables. There was sea fruit for dessert. Everyone ate quietly at first. 

“Do you have everything you need now for the young mages?” Helblindi King asks

“Yes your majesty, we will start their training tomorrow” 

“I will continue to visit them” Nal Queen promised. 

“They will be happy to see you” you answer. 

The next morning before breakfast you decide you have waited too long to visit the royal Taylor’s. You only have a few things in the closet small enough to fit you, and even with a little enchantment they still aren’t enough. 

The Taylor has to get on her knees to measure you. She hadn’t made clothing for a full mage before and is one of those people who is constantly talking to herself. Apparently this will be like making doll clothes. You try not to roll your eyes. 

You order a couple more maroon gowns with cowls, with your horns that curve down around your face you are able to cover your head elegantly and you rather like the look. You also order some traditional garb and the Taylor says she will give your measurements to the Smith for armor. You thank her and walk back to your suite. 

Breakfast had been left in your sitting room and you nibble on some bread and fish. 

You realize that you have no books for the children. Fortunately most of the first few weeks of training can be done just from the memories of the three of you. Surely Loki can teach the runes and Byleister will work on some of the physical motions a mage must master. You will work on magic. 

You conjure some reams of paper and writing tools and walk over to Loki’s suite. 

You realize that your hands are full and you can’t knock so you announce your presence. Loki beckons you in. 

Farbauti is still there, they are just finishing up breakfast. 

“I would like to meet the young mages myself” said Farbauti. 

You aren’t keen on this, Farbauti is a little scary but you can’t exactly refuse her. “Certainly Farbauti General”. Maybe she is maternal towards all children? Hopefully this is something that Loki gets from her? You don’t want to spend the day calming frightened children. 

A servant comes in and clears their plates. No one offers to help you with the papers and supplies so you just walk towards the door and wait. 

Farbauti regally walks towards the doors and you open them for her telekinetically. She walks through, followed by Loki, who hasn’t said a word beyond letting you in and you follow. 

The young mages suite is your domain so you don’t knock, just cause the doors to open. 

Jaxarna excitedly runs up to you and grabs the paper and writing tools. She sets them reverently on a small table. 

Her eyes are wide at the sight of the tall and sinewy yet beautiful and fierce General and the tiny prince who is only an inch taller than she is, not counting his tall, handsome horns. 

Baugi and Suttung cling to Glut’s long kilt and stare at the new visitors. 

“Jaxarna, this is the great Farbauti General, mother of your teacher Byleister Prince and also mother to your teacher Loki Prince” you explain. 

Loki scowls. 

“I am pleased to see new half mages, you will be essential in the coming wars” said Farbauti enthusiastically. 

You tried hard not to show your displeasure, these were young novices who didn’t need to be thinking of war. But you smiled and nodded your head. 

“Jaxarna bows low to Farbauti and says “I will be pleased to serve you, my General”. And she grinned wide as she bowed to Loki “Greetings my teacher Loki Prince”. 

You think they waited a little too long to bring Jaxarna in, she was hitting puberty and was a little boy crazy. You could work with her though. You would just need to get her away from the princes when it came time to work with her magic. 

The boys stayed where they were, feeling safe in the folds of Glut’s kilt. 

Farbauti excused herself and left. 

You bekon the boys to come sit at the table as you pass out paper and pens. 

They burrow deeper into the folds of Gluts heavy kilt. 

Loki walks over to them and leans over with his hands on his knees. 

“Hello little ones” he says no longer the snide jerk you are used to seeing. “I am here to teach you runes, will you come sit with me at the table? Lady Glut can come along and watch” he says 

You and Jaxarna push Glut’s huge chair close to the writing table. Glut starts to walk over to it and sits down. “Go sit at the table, little ones” 

Jaxarna waits for Loki to sit and chooses the chair closest to him. You want to laugh but control yourself. She is so enthusiastic about everything. 

The boys sit across from him. 

Loki smiles at the boys and they both return his smile shyly. 

The Prince picks up a piece of paper and pen and writes a Rune, we will start here he says. Jaxarna quickly copies the rune on her paper. The boys are not as fast. They pick up their pens and Loki shows them how to hold the writing tools. He gets up and carefully positions each boys fingers. Then moves their hands on the paper to write the rune. 

The boys seem happy to follow his directions, and they look up at Glut in her chair and she smiles and nods encouragingly to them. 

You realize that Jaxarna will need to work at a quicker pace to keep her attention, but for now she is just watching the prince and grinning. You let it be for today.


	10. Chapter 10

Things are getting busy- you have children to teach and a giant portal to practice making. 

You suspect that this portal really isn’t as practical as Farbauti thinks it is, otherwise why would Asgard have built the bifrost?

You finally find time to spend getting some instruction from the murderer. It would probably be good if you started to think of him by name, since he is apparently not going back to the dungeon. 

In fact, Farbauti has made considerable progress with him, he is much more cooperative and slightly less snarky, at least to other people, your very existence seems to annoy him, but you don’t really like him much either. 

You take a breath and knock on the tall, ornate wooden door to his suite. Wood is rare, these doors were obviously built back when the Casket of Ancient Winters was still in the possession of the king. 

He tells you to come in. Once again he is sitting on the huge chair as though it is a throne. 

“You owe me some seidr instruction, Loki prince” you announce politely. 

“I do at that,” he says, not moving from his position on the full sized chair and looking down at you like he has some sort of power over you. “You have a lot of raw power, you will be very dangerous when you are mature,” he says. 

“I am full grown” you remind him. 

“I mean grown into your power. I almost wish I had not made this deal, empowering a monster like you”. 

“How can a monster possess seider?” You ask rhetorically. 

He says nothing and slides off the big chair. “Let’s go for a walk” he says. 

You leave the palace and walk through the marketplace. You aren’t sure what he is up to. 

“What passes as forest on this forsaken planet?” He says with disgust. 

“We no longer have forests, the trees stopped growing when the Casket of Ancient winters was stolen”

“That seems strange, I would think that things would get warmer with that out of the picture” he muses. 

“You don’t understand, you can’t have a winter without fall, spring and summer. It was always cold, but we had seasons. We could grow plants in the soil and animals were easier to raise. When the casket was taken the seasons stopped, there were no more winters, only one constant Winter. We adapted, the oceans are salty so they never froze, creatures and plants still thrive there, farmers became fishermen and gathered sea plants for the land animals we still keep.”

“We took it from you because you tried to annex Midgard” he says simply 

You aren’t going to have this debate so you change the subject. “I think the snow desert might do if you are looking for a natural, untouched place” you suggest. 

“I guess that will have to do” he says

You turn to walk towards the palace, to the space on the other side where you practice your portals. 

“What about that area on the other side of the flat section of snow?” He asks pointing in the opposite direction. “Or is that a lake?”

“It’s not a lake” you say flatly

“Can we cross it?” He asks 

“I suppose it’s possible” you say. 

“Come, let’s go this way. It looks like an easier walk” he says and starts in that direction. 

Your stomach twists and you freeze for a moment, but you don’t want him to see you hesitate so you try to follow. 

He gets a few feet into the flat, loose snow and then loses his balance and slips. 

“Why is this ice so hard and smooth under the snow?” He says with irritation as he tries to get up, his hand slipping as he tries to support himself. 

You feel your seider flowing and rising as the pain and anger grows beyond your ability to hide it. 

His face changes from annoyance to fear as he watches you become unstable with magic. 

“It’s not ice, Loki. It’s glass.” You say quietly and without emotion. 

You see the understanding build on his face, and then horror, and then a sadness that you don’t fully believe is sincere. 

He lifts his hand from the ground and brushes away the snow to look at the black glass beneath. He takes a deep breath and looks up at you, his eyes as glassy as the obsidian below him. 

His eyes then widen with fear as he sees the unstable glow that has now engulfed you. 

“Please concentrate on your breathing,” he says softly “Feel the air fill your lungs. If you concentrate on your physical body you can keep yourself in control”. 

Right now all you want is to let your magic free to incinerate him where he sits on the snow covered glass. 

“Breathe in, please sorceress” he is obviously taking his own advice to calm himself. “You can’t let the magic control you, you need to be the one who controls it”. 

You aren’t certain that you aren’t in control, but you realize that killing Loki isn’t your place, Farbauti has claimed that right and you don’t dare cross her. 

He shouldn’t be here. The very land refuses to let him stand on it. You calm down a little and feel your magic start to recede back into you. 

“There were children here, there were families. See that mound in the distance? That was my home, the temple. Children like Baugi and Suttung lived there, studied there, played there... died there. We hope they felt nothing.” You said flatly. 

“I was in the mountain.” You turn and point down the flat stretch to a mountain that barely shows damage. “I wasn’t supposed to be there. I should have died with the rest of the mages. I was deep in the mountain exploring but I still felt the heat. When I came out it was all gone. Everyone was dead. Everyone except me and Byliester. All the history and the art and the books were destroyed with my teachers and fellow students. You did this.” You look at him and feel a flare of magic creep up, you push it back down again. He isn’t yours to kill.

You use your seider to lift him up off the glass and put him back on the other side with you. “I don’t want anything from you” you say. “Go back to your rooms” you teleport him back to his room, flinging him across the floor so he slides and hits a wall. That was inappropriate, but it will have to do. 

You teleport back to your mountain chamber. You scream until you are hoarse and then you cry. You can’t do this. You can’t work with him. You’ve tried so hard to be strong but today you just broke like a fragile child. He is a monster and a murderer. You don’t need him, you are strong, you will figure out what needs to be done, you will teach yourself. 

You go to the pile of books you had brought from the temple to study in peace when you first found this chamber. You will teach yourself. You just start reading the first one you pick up. 

You read past dinner and then you crawl into your pile of furs and sob yourself to sleep. 

***

Your internal clock wakes you up the next morning and you teleport back to your suite. You go straight into the bathroom to take a bath. You throw your clothes on the floor just because. 

With your entire body under the cool water you start to feel a little better. You have to compose yourself and go on like nothing has changed-nothing really has changed, has it? 

You dry off and dress yourself. Pick up yesterday’s clothes that you threw on the floor and put them away. While you were in the bath a servant set a breakfast tray in your sitting room. You dig in, hungry since you skipped dinner yesterday. 

Time to check on the novices. You hope Loki isn’t in there, but you still have to admit that his help is useful. 

You open their big wooden door and Jaxarna greets you with a big smile. She’s sitting at the small table with the boys, and Loki is helping one of them hold a pen correctly. 

“Good morning Sorceress” today we learned uruz” she said smiling and pointing at her paper, where she had written it several times. “ it governs Wild power and change, we did fehu yesterday” she turned her paper over and drew yesterday’s rune. “This one is wealth and new beginnings”

“Very good, Jaxarna” you say and the girl grins happily. Jaxarna came from an elk farming community far to the west. They tried to keep her with them too long and only brought her to the palace for training when things she enchanted started going terribly wrong. Had they not kept her late she would have already been at the temple when it was destroyed. She was very happy to be here, she loved learning and was being held back on the elk farm. 

Mage and half mage children need the supervision of accomplished magic users or they can be dangerous to themselves and others. Full mages are often brought to the temple as babies as they are able to use their full power long before they have any understanding of what they are doing. Half mages can usually stay a few years with their families. 

Jaxarna is a lot older than the usual novice and you are actually surprised that she hadn’t caused more damage than a few two headed elk. 

In contrast, the boys are younger than usual. Their parents were in the bifrost path doing business and the boys had been staying with their grandmother. The grandmother realized that she would not be able to control the boys and she brought them early. They need a lot of love and attention and Glut seems to know exactly how to give it to them, you are very thankful that she was chosen to care for the children. 

The boys took well to Loki, he has a way with children that is uncanny considering his history. The boys have no idea what he has done, you wonder if they will hate you for letting him teach them when they are old enough to be told. 

Loki glances at you quickly and averts his gaze. Is he afraid of you now? Or does he actually feel some true remorse? 

Byleister enters the room, it's almost time for his lessons with the children. He looks at you and motions you into a far corner.

“What did you do to Loki?” He whispers. “Mother had me heal his shoulder. The bone was cracked and he wouldn’t tell us how it happened. It was you, wasn’t it?”

You hesitate. “Yesterday was hard. He wandered into the bifrost path and slipped on the glass.” You start

“That doesn’t explain his injury, Sorceress”. Byleister says gently. 

“I couldn’t stand the sight of him anymore and I sent him back to his rooms. I guess I was a little forceful and threw him against a wall.”

Byleister suppressed a smile that started at the corner of his mouth and was quiet for a moment. Then he says “he’s very lucky it was just a broken bone, I’ve seen you throw fireballs, he could have been ashes on the glass. Please be careful, Sorceress. Mother has made a project of him, she likes the challenge and has claimed the right to kill him if she fails. That and he could still be useful, we need all the knowledge and assistance we can get.”

“I know. I lost control. I spent the night in the mountain getting my composure back. I probably should apologize” you say feeling a little sick at the thought. 

“I don’t know what I would have done, Sorceress.” He says sympathetically. 

Loki finished with the children and Byleister takes over. He conjures a simple light orb for them and tells them he will teach them how to conjure their own. The boys’ eye’s light up and Jaxarna practically giggles as she looks up at the light orb floating above the open hand of the second handsome prince. 

Loki tried to leave quickly but you catch up with him. He doesn’t look at you. 

“What I did to you yesterday was inappropriate and unbecoming of my position.” You start. “Byleister told me that he had to heal your shoulder, I’m sorry I damaged you”. 

“I can’t begin to comprehend what you were feeling” he said not looking you in the eye. 

You follow him out the door and to the door of his suite. “Why?” You ask “why did you do it?” 

He looked at you for a few seconds and looked away again. “I had bad information. A lifetime of lies and I didn’t understand. I was trying to fix something that could never be fixed. I am a monster and thought that if I destroyed the rest of the monsters it would prove I was not one of them... one of you”. He glanced quickly at your face and away. 

You felt sick to your stomach. He really was a monster. But somehow yesterday had affected him as profoundly as it had you. You still hated him. You still wanted to burn him. But you knew now that you couldn’t. He closed the door behind him and you stare at the closed door for a few minutes before going to your next task of the day.


	11. Chapter 11

Jaxarna needs more than just a rune a day and a few simple tricks for her education. She is smart and very strong for a half mage. You decide to let her tag along with you sometimes during the day. She is unique for a novice due to her late age, just hitting puberty she is both hysterically funny to be around and annoying as a Jotun can possibly be. You wonder if you were this bad at that age and silently apologize to your late teacher. 

You take her out to the snow desert when you work on the portal. You explain everything you are doing. You even take her through your first little portal once really quickly to show her the Asgard Queen’s garden. She is delighted for a minute then complains about the heat. You can’t really blame her, the Asgardian atmosphere is stifling. 

She will probably never create a portal herself, it isn’t usually possible for a half mage as it requires a lot of raw power, but it is good information and theory and the girl seems to enjoy spending time with you. 

She never stops talking though. She is enamoured of both princes. Giggling when she speaks of them. You could understand her liking Byleister, you love him like a brother and thought any woman will be lucky to have his affection, but her interest in Loki worries you. You know it’s just her age, she loves learning and the princes are both very handsome, knowledgeable and Loki is just her current size. You well understand the awkwardness of having everyone around you towering over you. It’s just her hormones making her crazy. All the better for her to get some girl time with you. You need to find some other girls her age that she can hang around with in her free time, they don’t have to be half mages. 

It was nice spending time with the young girl, though. She had lived so far away from the path of the bifrost that no one in her community had been affected by the catastrophe. She didn’t have that underlying brokenness that everyone else here seemed to live with. She knew what had happened, but it hadn’t touched her world. 

You walk her back to the children’s suite and pass Farbauti and Loki in the hallway. Loki doesn’t look at you. Farbauti asks about the portal again, you tell her that it’s coming along as expected. Jaxarna looks up and grins with delight at the beautiful and fierce Jotun General. Farbauti looks at her curiously for a moment and gives her a half smile. 

As you drop Jaxarna off at the mages suite she starts babbling about how pretty Farbauti is. You think that is particularly amusing, and inform Jaxarna that while Farbauti is lovely she would not think twice about having her dismembered and sent to the kitchen as dinner if she displeases her. You advise her never to get on her bad side. You don’t think Jaxarna really believes you, bad things aren’t part of her known universe. 

That evening after dinner you hear a knock on the door that joins your suite to Loki’s. At first you feel angry at him for not using the front door but then you remember that he still isn’t allowed out of his suite alone. 

You open the door and he’s standing there looking at his feet. He glances quickly at your face and asks “May I come in?”

You want to tell him “no”, but figure that you’d just make things worse, so you take a step back and open the door all the way to give him room to walk into your sitting room. 

“You are doing very well with the boys” you say as a way of breaking the ice. 

He looks at you with tears in his pretty red eyes “I killed their parents. They don’t know. I am a monster”. 

“You are” you agree. You aren’t Farbauti, you have no incentive to try to console him. “Knowing now would interfere with their studies, and they have enough stress in their lives without adding to it. They will figure it out eventually and we will have to deal with it then”

“They will hate me”

“Probably” You agree

“I don’t deserve what is being given to me.” He continued “Falling on the glass yesterday after working with those beautiful children made me start to question what I have been taught to believe all my life.”

You have nothing to say to that. You catch yourself growling softly and stop, no point letting him know how upsetting this topic is for you. 

“The General should have killed me the first day. I will never be the child she lost, he died the minute Odin Allfather picked me up off of the frozen rock he claims to have found me on. I will never belong to Jotunheim or Asgard, I am a monster with no home and those children should not have to endure my presence anymore”

You wonder what he wants from you. You aren’t going to sugarcoat anything for him and you damn well aren’t going to console him. 

He’s not getting out of it that easily. “There will be more children coming, there are at least 10 half mage toddlers and babies out there that I’m aware of. Some will be coming to us in the next few months. Byleister and I need your help, you will continue with your work with the children”. 

He stared at the ground. “I deserve to die for what I have done”. 

“You do” you agree once again “but it’s not my place to carry that out. Farbauti General believes that you will grow into the man she dreamed you would be. She is harsh, but she is stubborn and tenacious. She will not give you the mercy of death and you will not escape what you have done that way. Your punishment is to live with it”. 

“I am a monster, born of monsters and stolen by a different kind of monster”

You shake you head and wonder if he is even listening to you. “Is that it? I was in the middle of something when you disturbed me” you lie. 

“I'm sorry, Sorceress”. 

You hold your tongue and think to yourself “Sorry about what? Disturbing me or murdering all those people?” You shake your head and say out loud “please go now”. 

He nods his head and turns to go. You close and lock the door behind him, adding a magical ward just because. 

***  
Farbauti is losing patience with Helblindi, five aesir prisoners have been captured trying to sneak into the palace. This fuels Farbauti’s rage and her craving for Aesir blood. 

“General, we have the Crown Prince of Asgard in our dungeon, we currently have the upper hand, “ said Helblindi 

You look at the King in surprise, you missed this, it must have occurred the day Loki slipped on the glass while you were in the mountain. 

“Thor Prince has come to steal back the one he claims as his brother.” Helblindi announces to the council group, in case anyone else was unaware. 

“Does Loki know that they are here?” You ask. 

“He does not.” Says Helblindi. 

“What do you intend to do with them?”

“Perhaps attempt some bargaining with the Allfather? His heir for the Casket of Ancient Winters”

Somehow you didn’t think Odin would go for that. Perhaps Farbauti would get her war after all. 

A messenger enters the room and says that the bifrost landing has flashed. You all go out to get in the sled. A second sled is filled with some of Farbauti’s largest soldiers and the five Asgardians. You recognize the large blond man who accompanied the Allfather when he surrendered Loki, that must be the son of Odin who calls Loki his brother. There were two other As, one very large with red hair and one slight and blond. One other who appeared to be Vanir and an asynja Warrior maid. They were all chained hand and foot. 

The sleds got to the bifrost landing very quickly. Helblindi quickly moved towards Odin on a bridge of his own ice. Farbauti was just a little behind him. You stayed back with the prisoners, keeping a slight magical barrier around them as warning to the Allfather that it wouldn’t be as easy as just stealing them with magic. 

“Your son and his companions have invaded our realm” Helblindi began. “They have come to steal back Loki, he is ours now.”

Farbauti’s eyes glowed so intensely that you imagined heat rising from them. She knew her place, though. She was no longer Queen once Laufey was killed, and the fact that her son was now King did not change her duties and rights as General of Jotunheim’s forces. She kept quiet and just stood tall and threatening in her armor, the razor sharp points of her long curved horns glistened wickedly in the pale Jotunheim sunlight. 

“Please return my son and his warriors to me, I will see that they are appropriately punished for their indiscretion.” Said the Allfather. 

“I’m afraid it won’t be that simple this time, Allfather. This time we will name our price for their return. We require the Casket of Ancient Winters be returned to us in exchange for releasing the prisoners to you”

“Father don’t do it!” Yelled Thor from the second sled. You quickly conjured gags for all of them to keep them from any further outbursts. 

“Never!” Said the Allfather. “Your father used it as a weapon of war, your people cannot be trusted with that kind of power!”

Helblindi was silent. His red eyes stared down into the Allfather’s one blue one steadily and calmly and he held his head high. 

“Do you want a war with Asgard?” The Allfather asked

Helblindi patiently remained quiet, standing tall and regal, as though waiting for the Allfather to give the correct answer. 

You heard Farbauti take a breath at the Allfather’s question. 

You strengthen your magical barrier dramatically and cause it to slightly glow maroon to back up Helblindi’s powerful silence. The Allfather was considerably stronger than you, but your magic was volatile and any attempt to breach your barrier could harm the crown prince and his warriors. 

“Very well” said the Allfather, turning eight legged Sleipnir back to the bifrost landing. “We shall have war.” And then he shouted “Heimdall! Bring us back” 

The bifrost flashed and the Aesir group was gone. 

***  
It seemed odd that once Loki was informed that the crown prince was in the dungeon that he did not request to seem him. In fact he seems a bit distressed at the idea of Thor seeing him in his Jotun form. The cuffs kept him from shifting back to Aesir. 

“He is not my brother!” He yelled at you and Farbauti from the large chair in his sitting room. This time instead of looking regal on it he looked like a whining child in the huge chair. “Do what you want to him. I don’t care!”

“He came thinking he could rescue you” you reminded him. 

“And what will he do when he finds a blue monster with red eyes and horns instead of his little brother? He would slay me where I stand, I have no defenses and with these cuffs I can’t even teleport out of his way. Then again Yes, bring him to me, let him kill me if you won’t. You can’t do it, can you General?”

Farbauti refused to take his bait, she knew exactly where she stood in the world and he could not play her that way. “He will not kill you my son. Perhaps you both need to see each other in order to begin this new phase of your life. Yes. We will take you to him. Come”. 

“I will not go to him” Loki growled. 

“Sorceress, if he will not use his own legs to accompany us please bring him” Farbauti instructed. 

You use your seider to lift him off the chair and start floating him towards the door. 

“No! Put me down! I can walk” he grumbled. 

You set him down and he reluctantly follows the General. 

All five of the Asgardian prisoners are contained in the large cell that was Loki’s, the heat source keeping them from freezing. 

Loki tried to stand back but Farbauti grabs Loki by one of his horns and pushes him close to the bars. He growls at her sharply but quickly remembers his place. 

“Look at me! Look at me Thor!! Is this what you came for? Is this what you want to bring back to Asgard?” Loki growls, holding his arms out. 

The other four prisoners looked at him in shock and whispered to each other. 

Thor walked up to the bars with a sad look on his face, studying the blue figure before him. In Jotun form Loki was a couple inches taller than Thor, with another two feet of horns above that. Thor was still quite a bit broader. 

“Brother...” Thor whispered looking up into his brothers red on red eyes. “Brother what has happened to you?”

“I am not your brother.” Loki snaps. “Do you not remember our conversations as we fought last in Asgard? I am a monster, these are my people... I am the child of monsters” he gestured at you and Farbauti. “But I have failed them as well, I am nothing and no one. Just a monster to scare Aesir children at night”

“Come home Loki, we can work things out, we can forgive you” Thor begged. 

“Forgive me? Forgive? Me? They who kept my true parentage from me for hundreds of years and taught me to fear and despise my own kind? He who said we were both born to be Kings but always favored you? HE would forgive ME? He who kidnapped me from my own family to keep on the shelf like a stolen relic? Forgive me?”

Farbauti growled ominously behind him. 

Loki turned around to look back at her for a moment. “Thor, this is Farbauti General, wife of the late Laufey King... my mother.”


	12. Chapter 12

Farbauti looks very pleased, in fact she is softly purring. You never would have imagined that she ever purred, but you were seeing sides of her not shown to everyone. 

The Aesir prince stares at Farbauti in shock and then back at Loki. “Brother! How can you do this! You have a mother who raised you! A mother who comforted you when you were sad and taught you the magic you cherish!”

“A woman who knowingly and secretly raised a monster child stolen from a conquered temple. How many hundreds of years did she keep this secret from me? The child she professed to love?” Loki snaps back at the Aesir prince. 

Farbauti steps a little closer to the bars and stands tall and proud. She rests her clawed hand on Loki’s shoulder possessively. 

Thor raises his head to look into the glowing red eyes of the tall and lithe Jotun General glowering down at him. Then back to Loki. His eyes scan the tall curved horns that both giants have and he notes the similarities in their angular facial structure. Loki is just a small male version of Farbauti. 

“You may be the spawn of this monster but you are still Frigga’s SON and my brother.” Thor pleads “Loki please, come home”

“I am not, I am no longer a prince of Asgard. The Allfather has banished me, sent me back to the realm that spawned me. I am no longer your brother, I am Jotunheim’s shame now”

Farbauti frowns at the last sentence and grips his shoulder tighter, claws digging in in warning. 

The warrior maid steps up to the bars. She glances at Loki who glares hatefully at her. “Thor, don’t do this to yourself. He belongs to them now” she says softly, with empathy. 

“No!” Thor yells as he turns to her and puts his hands on her shoulders as if to shake the thought out of her. “No! We will bring my brother home! This is not over!”

“The Allfather has cast him out, and he doesn’t wish to return” she reasons. 

“He is my brother!” He yells back at her as if that will change everything. “He needs to come home”

Loki turns and starts to leave. Farbauti follows him. You glance at the Aesir prince curiously before joining the other Jotunns. You find it intriguing that this little pink monster feels so strongly about Loki that he is willing to take such risks to bring him back to his realm. 

***  
You go back to your suite and change into the armor you had made for you. The breastplate and vambraces are hard gold toned metal and thick maroon shaded leather covers your less vulnerable body parts. You pull your hair back into a tight braid to keep it from getting in your face. Your horns are useless as weapons but help to protect your face the way they curve down and around. This will work. 

You walk into the council chamber and see Helblindi and his counselors gathered around the table. 

Farbauti has her forces gathered in the ice desert behind the palace. She has a map of Asgard laid out on the table. “I want the troops to emerge from the portal here” she says tapping a black claw on a large clear section just outside the city. This will give us space to get as many as possible in. 

“Do you have a plan to recapture the Casket?” You ask

“Loki Prince knows its location.” Farbauti responded.

“You’re not planning to let him lose, are you?” You say, shocked. You believe he acknowledged her in front of Thor for Thor’s benefit, not hers. 

“You shall accompany him.” She says. You may keep him cuffed and use him as a guide.”

This was not expected, you want to protest that you aren’t strong enough, that they are risking their only full mage. But you understand that this is not a request.

The King nods his agreement. “Give my brother the opportunity to redeem himself to the people of Jotunheim, there is no better way.”

You realize that this is true. They will still hate Loki for what he has done, but if he is integral to restoring the Casket of Ancient Winters then they will be in his debt. 

“Yes my King” you bow your head at Helblindi. “Yes Farbauti General, I am at your service as always”. 

***

Farbauti wants to attack in the morning, which will be late night in Asgard. You head to Loki’s suite to see where he stands and possibly get information and plan. 

He opens the door when you knock and motions you to a small couch where he also sits, rather than his usual spot gazing down at you from the full sized chair. 

You make a note of his choice to sit at your level as your equal rather than staring down at you. “The General says that you will help to recapture the Casket of Ancient Winters” you start. 

He sighed “My mother feels it will make me seem less of a monster to the people of Jotunheim.'' 

“You can’t fix what you did, there is no way to repay those lives. But restoring Jotunheim would make it start to fade into the past for some people.”

“I know. I was always a monster and will always be a monster.” He looks at you strangely. His red eyes studying your face as if there was something to be read that wasn’t spoken. 

“The Aesir Prince believes you are his brother, the Jotnar claim siblings of different parents so this is not strange to me.”

His face clouds. “Thor never treated me like a brother, when we were children he was always with his friends. They would exclude me and make fun of me for preferring to study magic rather than fight. He did not defend me. I don’t know why he wants to claim me now. We had nothing in common, he loves to fight and dreamed of defeating great foes, I just wanted to understand the universe”

“The universe is a lot to understand, but a worthwhile goal” you agree

Loki nodded at you in agreement. “The Aesir do not respect those who prefer studying to fighting, it is considered weak, the domain of women” he says sadly

“The Jotnar do not assign things to men or women” you inform him “ we prefer to use an individual's innate strength to determine their path”. 

Loki smiles “I like that, it seems very pragmatic, a much more effective way to grow and live”. 

“Thor Prince goes against the Allfather to try to bring you back” you point out.

“Yes, the Allfather will forgive him. His punishment will be mild.” Loki says dismissively 

“That shows the depth of his bond to you-“

“The casket is in the armory” Loki announces “It is guarded by a few Einherjar, I’m sure you can quickly dispatch them.”

You go along with his subject change “I have several options” you agree “the fastest thing would be to put them to sleep. I can send the sleeping spell ahead of us and put every living thing in the area into a deep sleep.”

He nodded “Then we need to just grab it and flee. With all their attention focused on Mother’s attack it should be simple.”

“Hmmm”. You really aren’t so sure about his sudden comfort with referring to the General as “mother”. He is known to be a trickster after all. “We shall see”

You ask him about the location of the armory and exactly where he recommended their portal to open. You are a little nervous, Farbauti trusts him but you don’t. His sudden turn around is too suspicious. 

He is studying you a little too intently for your comfort. 

“I’m sorry I called you a little monster, Sorceress.” He said with sincerity. “And I’m sorry I called you ugly, you aren’t ugly at all”. He said with a small smile. 

You stand up suddenly. This felt very strange and made you a bit uncomfortable. “I need to go, I have a lot to do”

“Of course, Sorceress”

***

You go to the children’s suite to let them know that their studies will be disrupted for a while. 

“I want to help, Sorceress what can I do?” says Jaxarna enthusiastically 

“You are not ready to fight, you don’t even have armor. You must stay here, we need you to protect the boys and Glut” you tell her. “You are our future”

She frowns but nods her head seriously. 

“Hopefully the war will be short. Loki and I will be gone a bit, but Byleister will be here to continue your studies and let you know what is going on.”

The boys were clinging to Glut again. You had trouble understanding very young children, usually half mages were older when they joined the temple. “Help Glut to comfort the boys as well” you add

Jaxarna nods and walks over to the boys clinging to Glut, she puts a clawed hand on each one's shoulder and Baugi turns to her for a hug. 

“I will keep them safe, Sorceress” she promises over the little boy’s shoulder. 

***

You knew you should sleep but you couldn’t do it. You went out to the ice desert to look at the troops and plan. 

You found Farbauti’s second in command. A Jotun named Thrym. He was huge and broad, he had straight horns that pointed forward dangerously and his shiny blue head was shaved. You told him that the portal would be big enough for ten warriors to pass through shoulder to shoulder, he seemed pleased with that. You asked him where he wanted you to open it and he guided you to a section of the warriors. You looked at the area and nodded, there was nothing in the space that would cause any complications. He nodded and thanked you and turned to yell instructions at the warriors. 

You will hold this portal open until they were all through and then teleport to Loki and go through to the armory. 

Suddenly you see Farbauti and Helblindi walking towards you. Loki is with them, looking tiny next to the tall full sized Jotuns. 

You stay where you are and wait for them to approach you. 

“I see you have coordinated with Thrym. Very good, Sorceress. Are you ready to go?” Asks Helblindi King

“At your word, my King” You answer 

Loki walks over to stand with you. You look at him and nod your acknowledgment of his presence, you will not need to teleport with him here with you. 

More warriors on felines start to arrive. You consult with Thrym as to what order and how they will go through the portal. You tell him they can go through five across, he agrees and goes to give his orders to the mounted troops. 

Time passes slowly, you can’t let yourself get too stressed over your part in this. You just need to do it. You know you can, you have practiced and perfected this, you can do it in your sleep. 

Loki is looking at you intently, you raise an eyebrow in curiosity. 

“You will do this Sorceress, this will work out” he said uncharacteristically. 

“Thank you” You said automatically. His bizarre change of heart was not helping your nerves. 

Suddenly you hear Helblindi King give the order to open the portal. You take a deep breath and walk over to the front line of the warriors and start to concentrate your seider. 

After a few seconds you start to glow. A maroon aura forms around you. The warriors watch in fascination, this is something that hadn’t been witnessed in generations. 

Soon a space in front of the warriors starts to shimmer slightly. You feel the energy tingling in every cell of your body as you concentrate your full power on this task. Slowly you bring the Asgard side to connect with the Jotunheim side. Suddenly the huge portal shines with the light of the Asgard moon and you step back, bowing your head towards Helblindi and Farbauti. The King nods to Farbauti and she gives a piercing command for the warriors to go forward, and row by row in groups of ten warriors step into the enemy realm.


	13. Chapter 13

You watch as row by row of the huge blue warriors disappear through the portal. Behind them are Jotuns mounted on huge felines padding through the snow on their huge fluffy clawed feet. Only five across can go through at a time. You wonder how the thickly furred creatures will manage in the Asgardian heat. 

Finally the last row of felines go through and you look over to Loki. He is looking at you intently and waiting for your instructions. You take a deep breath and start the small portal to the armory. 

It starts to shimmer and the other side is dark, this worries you. Did Loki give you the right coordinates? You throw a sleeping spell ahead of you as planned and motion for Loki to go through first. He looks a little surprised but nods and walks through. You wait a second and then follow. 

As your eyes become accustomed to the dark you see pedestals containing all forms of weaponry and talismans. Several einherjar are sleeping where they dropped from your spell. There are torches on the walls but many have gone out. 

Loki starts down a dark corridor and you follow him. At the end you see it, glowing with whorls of blue light inside it-the Casket of Ancient Winters! It’s beyond beautiful and you are humbled to be in its presence. 

Suddenly a panel behind the casket opens and a huge hollow metal figure steps through. 

“What!?” Says Loki in alarm “Thor destroyed him on Midgard, he can’t be functioning again so quickly” 

Loki sounds sincerely startled but did he lead you into a trap?

The metal being seems to vibrate with power. At once it opens its visor and where its face should be fire shoots out and breaks the stone wall above your head. Pieces of the wall fall down around you. A large piece lands on your head with a sickening thud and everything goes black. 

***

You wake up in great pain. You don’t know how long you have been out. You don’t remember where you are or how you got there. The light hurts your eyes so you keep them closed. You’ve never had a headache like this. You raise your hand to your head and feel the stickiness of semi dried blood in your hair. It’s especially tender near your left horn, which feels loose. You refuse to groan, it would hurt too much. 

“Sorceress” you hear a quiet soothing voice. Is that Loki? It sounds like him. “Are you awake?”

A groan is all you can manage and you wince at the pain. 

“This is my fault. I have failed you. I have failed Mother and I have failed Jotunheim. I did not anticipate that the Destroyer would have been repaired so quickly, it is not alive so was not affected by your sleeping spell. Please forgive me, Sorceress. “

You groan again and try to sit up. You feel his hands gripping your shoulders and helping you up to lean your back against a wall. You open your eyes just a slit and the light stabs into your skull. 

You are in a bright room. There's an energy barrier on one wall. It’s unusually light and clean. You wish for darkness as your eyes can’t deal with the brightness. 

“We were captured, Sorceress. They have put cuffs on you and brought us to the dungeons”. 

You don’t think this looks much like a dungeon, but you take his word for it. 

You feel something touching your lips and brush it away. 

“You need to drink, sorceress, it’s been two days. Please drink.” Loki says. 

You reach your hands out and he puts the cup in your hand, you bring it to your mouth and drink without opening your eyes. “Thank you” you manage to say. 

“Mother, uh, the Allmother, sent a projection to talk to me earlier today. There have been many casualties on both sides. I asked her for a healer for you. I don’t know if she can make that happen since there are so many injured of their own. She speaks to me at her risk” Loki says. 

You try to nod and the pain makes you gasp. 

“I’m sorry, Sorceress” he repeats himself. 

Suddenly an Aesir woman walks briskly through the barrier and into the cell. She is wearing a while robe with bloodstains on it and carrying a bag of supplies. She looks at you with disgust and throws the bag down next to you. You don’t have the energy to react so you just close your eyes. 

“I am here to take care of a head injury,” she says. And you feel her kneeling next to you. 

You feel a warm cloth wiping the blood off of your head, it hurts and you breathe in sharply. 

“You have a skull fracture, and this horn appears to be cracked lose” she says with loathing in her voice. She puts her hand over the spot on your head and you feel healing seider start to relieve the pressure in your head. You feel good enough to open your eyes. 

The small Asynja kneeling beside you has a look of great discomfort on her face. She doesn’t want to be here but continues to heal you, you feel bones start to knit. 

“I’m only here by order of the Queen. It is by her grace that I am a healer and not a servant, but I made no oath to heal beasts.” She says with a disgusted look on her face. 

Soon you feel almost normal. She takes her hands away and quickly wraps your head and horn so that they are held in place. The bones have begun to fuse but they still need to complete their healing. Then without a word she gathers her supplies and leaves the cell without looking back. 

“That was one of Eir’s apprentices, she was a servant of my moth- of the Allmother but the Allmother recognized her talent and had her moved to the healing wards. She owes the Allmother a great debt, it looks like she has repaid it.” Explained Loki. 

You are hungry, and Loki pushes over a plate of cold food from earlier in the day. It’s plant based and gross, but your body needs sustenance. You thank him as you take small bites. 

After eating a little you examine the cuffs on your wrists. They are the same as the ones that were put on Loki, designed to keep an Aesir mage from using their seider. But you are not an Aesir mage. 

“We need to get out of here” you say. Loki rolls his eyes, of course you do. 

“These cuffs are made for Aesir” you tell him. “They may not hold up to innate Jotnar powers.”

“What do you mean? I have not been able to get out of them, I’ve been trying. I am a Jotun” says Loki. 

“You are untrained. Unless The General has been instructing you on how to use your ice.” You say

“No, she has been saying that she will start soon, but she treats me like a child and says that I’m not ready” 

“The metal that these cuffs are made from is very strong and hard, but I think that extreme cold will make them brittle” you tell him. “I think I might be able to remove mine. If I can get them cold enough maybe I can shatter them.” You say as you rub the cuff on your right wrist with your left hand. 

Loki watches with great interest. 

You keep rubbing the cuff and the cold starts to emanate from it and the entire cell becomes freezing cold. 

“I need to get it far below the freezing point of water” you tell him. 

After about 30 minutes you let your wrist drop to the hard floor and you hear a crack, almost there but not cold enough so you start over. 

This time you go for an hour, or so your internal clock tells you. Then you drop your forearm again and the cuff breaks into several pieces and your arm is free. You pull your sleeve down to cover your empty wrist and hide the pieces in a pocket of your cloak. 

The second cuff goes faster and soon you are free, but you hear footsteps you quickly create an illusion that the cuffs are still on you. 

It’s just guards bringing more food. They obviously have no intention of starving you. 

“Look! The lady monster is awake now!” One guard observes. 

“Ugh, she’s even more ugly with her eyes open, those red eyes are super creepy” said the other as he pushed two trays into the cell. “The Allmother says that you are to be fed well, I don’t know why she would care, monsters”

“I rather like the exotic look,'' said the first guard, ogling you “she’s got nice tits, I wonder what shade of blue her nipples are... and those horns would make great handles” he laughs

“Sure, but have you seen her teeth?” Says the second guard as he pulls out the old trays and replaces them with fresh food and water. 

Then the two guards turn and walk back down the long corridor. You can hear their lewd conversation about the uses for Jotnar women. You shudder. 

Once their footsteps fade to nothing and their voices are gone you call Loki over to you. “I can’t get your cuffs off without giving you severe frostbite”

“We can get frostbite?”

“Absolutely, if we aren’t prepared for the cold it can damage us just like anyone else. I think I can destroy the runes, though and that should do the same thing. “

“What makes you think you can trust me?” He says in surprise. 

“Nothing, and I don’t but I have nothing to lose. If you betray me I’m stuck here, if I go alone there’s a good chance I will be recaptured anyway, there are many seider users here and I am just one. I think the best odds are to take a chance with you. I think you have some incentive: Imagine the reaction if we get back to Jotunheim and you have the Casket of Ancient Winters in your hands?”

Loki says nothing and his face is unreadable, but you think that he craves that sort of adulation and isn’t that picky about where it comes from. 

“Give me your hand” you say with your hand out. 

He puts his hand in yours and you move it so the cuff is on your open palm. You put your finger on the runes on the part facing up and concentrate on moving the molecules to make the metal soft, you smear the runes completely away and turn his hand over to get the other side. 

Loki watches with interest. It’s not an especially difficult spell but your approach is different from what he is used to. Then you take his other hand and repeat the process. 

“Ok, can you teleport back to the armory?”

“Of course I can” he said a little insulted. 

“OK then let’s go”

To your surprise the armory is filled with Jotun fighting Aesir! 

There are bodies all around, blue and pink ones both. The Destroyer is encased in ice. You see Byleister in his armor throwing blue fireballs at Einherjar with their spears and arrows glancing off of an energy shield around him. Further ahead you see a small yellow fireball hit an Einherjar and knock him off balance. 

All around Jotnar warriors are swinging jagged ice clubs and throwing glistening ice spears. The Einherjar are fighting back with their conventional weapons, warriors on both sides are going down. 

Loki creates several duplicate illusions of himself, some running to the casket and some appear to be in the fight. Einherjar lunge at the duplicates and connect only with thin air. While they are disoriented Jotun warriors easily finish them off. 

When you near the casket you see a small mage in yellow armor throwing fireballs one after the other. The fireballs are tiny and not especially strong, but the are enough to distract the Einherjar and make them vulnerable. Where did this full mage come from? She must be quite drained at this point for her fireballs to be so weak. Loki must capture the casket before her seider fails. 

You and Loki both get to the casket at the same time. As he picks it up the casket his whole body starts to glow blue with its power. 

You concentrate quickly and summon a small portal. As it shimmers Loki stashes the heavy artifact into a pocket dimension and jumps towards the portal. 

You glance at the yellow full mage and realize in shock that it’s not a full mage at all, it’s a child, Jaxarna! You look at her and point at the portal angrily. You will deal with her and Byleister later. 

With the casket gone the einherjar start to retreat. You open a bigger portal for the Jotun warriors to go home and motion them through. At first they start to chase the einherjar, but their highest in command yells to them to go home, its over, they got what they came for.


	14. Chapter 14

You follow the warriors back to Jotunheim and shut the portal down behind you. You aren’t done yet. There are injured to tend to. 

It’s not hard to find the medical area. A female warrior is doing triage, she pushes the more seriously wounded to you. You need to conserve your strength so you do just enough to stabilize them and ease their pain. 

You look around for Byleister, he should be here helping, and this is an appropriate job for Jaxarna so you look for her as well. 

Farbauti General brings them to you. Jaxarna is grinning ear to ear. She is enjoying being in the middle of things. You are angry at Byleister for risking the young half mage like this, but perhaps he made the right decision and she actually got some good experience. 

“Thank you for your work, Sorceress” says the General. “We had many casualties but I understand that we captured the casket.”

“Yes, Loki Prince has it. Have you seen him?” 

“Not yet” The General says “We must show the people what we have won”. 

You nod and call Byleister and Jaxarna over to treat the injured warriors. You take Jaxarna with you to guide her work. 

The little girl is tired, but if she is going to be part of this she needs to keep going, and she is thrilled to be involved. You show her how to stop a wound from bleeding and to relieve pain. When you’re sure she has mastered these you instruct her to go ahead of you and work on the injured. 

You and Byleister follow her and set bones and close wounds. You should have a dozen healers but most of them lived in the temple. There are a few who live in the various towns, you send a couple of young warriors to fetch them. 

You should have planned to have them here already. You know you aren’t ready for the responsibility of your position, you’ve made many mistakes but you know you are all there is so you can only do your best. 

When the messengers return with healers you send Jaxarna back to the children’s suite to clean up and rest. You thank her and tell her that she did a good job, she doesn’t want to go but you know she is past exhausted. You don’t get to rest yet. 

And where is Loki? Your stomach starts to twist. Did you make a huge mistake by erasing the dampening runes? How are you going to explain your decision if he doesn’t show up?

You tell Byleister to go rest now that the village healers are here and you start trying to think of where Loki might be. 

You go back to the palace and knock on his door. No answer. You start to turn to leave and the door opens. It’s Loki with a huge smirk on his face. “Worried you, didn’t I?” He laughs. 

You just stare at him. He is scrubbed clean, his clothes have been changed and his wet hair is slicked back around his horns. 

What in the world made him think scaring you was a good idea right now? 

“Does the general know where you are?”

“I haven’t seen her. I went straight to my room and had a bath... you really should consider one for yourself, Sorceress” he said with a wrinkled nose and yet another smirk. 

You use your seider to instantly clean and change into your usual cowled maroon gown, there’s no time for luxuries. You give him a stern look and tell him to come with you to find the General and the King. 

He follows but his whole demeanor has changed now that he has his magic back. There’s a strut in his walk, almost like before he slipped on the glass but a little bit different. 

You’re not sure what to think of this, but he’s not fighting you so you go back out to the ice desert to find the King and the General. 

Helblindi King is with the wounded. He’s talking to a woman with severe injuries, he’s thanking her and telling her that they were successful and captured the Casket of Ancient Winters. She manages a smile but is unable to speak. 

“Loki! Sorceress!” He says when he sees you walking towards him. “Where is the casket?”

Loki looks up at him with a big grin and with a flourish he summons the casket from his dimensional pocket. 

The King’s face lights up with joy, but a second later it darkens when he realizes what he just saw. His gaze instantly switches to you with shock. 

“Yes your Majesty. I destroyed the dampening runes on his cuffs. I needed his magic functional in order for us to escape the Aesir and capture the casket.” You say. “I take responsibility for my decision, Loki Prince was essential to the success of our mission. He has not betrayed us, he has only worked to our benefit.” 

The King looked apprehensive. Then he turned his downward gaze to Loki “Brother do not betray us, I will trust the judgment of the Sorceress, do not make me regret this. Tomorrow we will show the people what we have won and celebrate. Brother, you will present the Casket of Ancient Winters to the people of Jotunheim and summon its power to begin restoring our planet to greatness.” He smiled down at his small, full mage brother. “The people will rejoice and the healing will start.”

Loki bows to his brother the King and stows the casket back in his dimensional pocket. 

***

The next day the courtyard is filled with joyous people. The Jotnar are celebrating their great victory. 

Helblindi King is on an ornate ice balcony looking over his tall subjects. You and Loki Prince are on his right, Byleister and Farbauti General are on his left with several of Farbauti’s lieutenants lining the back. 

“People of Jotunheim today we celebrate the return of strength and prosperity! My brother, the Sorcerer Loki Prince has recovered our great artifact from the Aesir, The Casket of Ancient Winters!”

With that Loki stepped forward and pulled the casket dramatically out of his dimensional pocket and held it up over his head proudly. He summoned its power and the blue whorls within it began to take up speed and glow brighter. Beams of light began to burst from it and over the crowd and into the land. 

The people cheered and screamed with joy as the air crackled with power. 

Loki stood beaming with the casket held high above his head. One of Farbauti’s largest lieutenants stepped up and grabbed Loki and put him up on his shoulders. Another wave of joyous cheers erupted from the crowd as Loki and the casket were held high. 

You felt better about your decision to erase the dampening runes. Loki craved recognition and approval and while he still seemed uncomfortable in his blue skin he really couldn’t be more appreciated than he was right now. 

***

“We have the casket and we have the heir to the throne of Asgard in our dungeon. What do we do with Thor Prince?” Posed Helblindi to his council. 

“Just let him rot” suggested Farbauti 

“We should keep him and make a Jotun out of him like they made an Aesir out of our Loki Prince” you say. “Then give him back as a puppet like they hoped to do with Loki.”

Farbauti stares blankly at you but the King seems intrigued “Thor Prince is very attached to Loki, he still claims him as a brother. Do you think that Loki would go along with it?”

“I think it’s worth looking into” you say. “Can we put them in suites in the other wing where I was originally instead of in the dungeon? Heavily guarded of course. I wouldn’t expect a prisoner in the dungeon to be easy to pull over to our side.” 

Helblindi commands messenger to go get Loki. He returns quickly with the tiny mage at his side. 

“Loki Prince please sit; a servant pulls out a chair and another adds several pillows to it and helps him up. We would like your thoughts on what to do with the crown prince of Asgard whom we have in our dungeon” says Helblindi. “It has been suggested that we keep him and his warriors here and treat him like a Jotun for a while, as you were treated like an Aesir.”

“I would not have my worst enemy treated as I was raised, but we would not be keeping any secrets from Thor so it would not be quite the same.” Loki responds. 

“Do you think he could learn to think of us as equals?” You ask. 

“No! He will always hate you. He was taught as a child that Frost Giants are savage, primitive and cruel”. Loki snapped. 

“He is very attached to you and believes you to be his brother, even after seeing your Jotun form.” You say. 

“He is not going to grow fond of us if he’s kept in the dungeon” Loki points out. 

“No, he won’t” says Helblindi. We will move them to the east wing, it is currently empty we will have them under heavy guard, but it should be an improvement. You and the Sorceress can show them around.” 

***  
You know that you will have to accompany Loki everywhere now that his cuffs are off. Helblindi King still doesn’t completely trust him. Loki is treating you with some respect since you took the chance with him and erased the dampening runes. At least he is no longer taunting you. 

Thor Prince and his warriors have been moved to suites in the east wing. You and Loki go to speak with him and bring them traditional Jotnar clothing to change into. You and Jaxarna enchanted some stones that they can wear around their necks that will keep the air directly around them warm enough for their weak, Aesir bodies. 

You get to the tall wooden door, two large guards are beside each of the five doors. You nod to the guards and Loki knocks. 

Thor opens the door and motions for you two to come in. He is weary and dirty from the dungeon, his blond hair is greasy and uncombed. 

“Brother what is going on?” He asks Loki. “Why have we been moved to these suites?”

“You will all be staying in Jotunheim for a while.”

“The Allfather will send warriors to rescue us! He will not allow this!”

“Helblindi King has already spoken to him. This is in response for the Allfather stealing me and raising me as an Aesir. We have recaptured the Casket of Ancient Winters and grow strong, they will not attempt to recapture you”

“You belong in Asgard, Loki! It’s your home! It’s where your family is!” 

“I have family here too, Thor. Family who don’t need to cover up who I really am in order to tolerate me”. 

“Loki you are not one of these monsters!”

You growl quietly at that statement and Loki reaches out to you and puts his hand on your arm and shakes his head slightly at you. You realize that Aesir don’t growl and they probably consider it a trait of monsters. You stay quiet. 

“We have brought you clean clothes to wear, I see you haven’t found the bath yet, brother” Loki smirked. 

Thor’s face lit up at Loki calling him brother. This might not be as hard as the king believes. 

You call one of the guards and tell them to bring the other Aesir to Thor’s sitting room. The room becomes quite crowded with a full sized guard for each of Thor’s friends. 

Thor explains to them what Loki told him. 

“No!” The warrior maid said, “we will never integrate with you monsters! We are Aesir! We are civilized!”

You tried not to laugh, Loki looked at you sternly again. 

Loki narrowed his eyes and smirked back at the woman “define civilized, Sif?”

You passed out the clothing and the enchanted stones and instructed them to go back to their suites and bathe and change. They would be dining with the royal family tonight. 

***

Another chair with pillows was added next to Loki at the royal family’s table. A small children’s table was brought in for for Thor’s warriors. You were now permanently seated next to Byleister, though your job was to counter any hostile magic that might come from Loki. 

The guards brought the tiny Aesir group in. They were clean and dressed in traditional Jotnar attire of kilts and vests. Sif wore a halter, her normal fighting attire did not have a lot more coverage than this, so unlike the average Asynja would she probably didn’t feel exposed. She held her head high. 

The Vanr warrior remained stoic, the slight blond Aesir next to him was checking out the females in the room and smiling at them all, even heavily pregnant Nal Queen. The large red haired warrior looked at the empty plates on the table and gazed around hoping they would be filled soon. 

Thor was dressed in a red and gold kilt and vest, Loki had insisted on his proper colors. He brushed away a servant who tried to help him up into the stack of pillows on his chair and climbed up easily by himself. 

Servants brought in the food. Cubes of raw fish, root vegetables and a salad of seaweed. The King started eating and the jotnar followed. 

Thor stared at the food in front of him. They had been fed more familiar fare in the dungeon, actual Jotnar cuisine was brand new to him. He watched the royal family pick up the cubes with their fingers and picked up one for himself. His face showed his disgust but he put it in his mouth. Apparently he found it to his liking and filled his plate. 

At the warriors table the big red head did not hesitate for a moment and had nearly eaten the entire offering of fish, servants brought another platter as the other three warriors just stared and wrinkled their noses. Finally the Vanr picked up a cube and ate, he nodded his head at the other two and they bravely tried the fish. 

Sweet sea fruit was brought out for desert and the servants automatically brought extra for the little warriors table. 

Farbauti glared at the warriors. She didn’t like this plan at all.


	15. Chapter 15

No, Farbauti is not pleased at all. 

One of the activities for cultural exchange when the subjects are warriors like Thor and his friends is recreational sparring. Warriors love to challenge themselves against each other so the decision is made to match them up with some Jotun warriors. 

Helblindi and Loki had to spend some time talking their mother the General into this. Even still it was only something she does to appease her sons, not as a decision of the General of Jotunheim’s army. 

She sends five warriors to partner with Asgardians. Helblindi and Loki get involved with the selection when she seems to be choosing individuals who share her disdain for the project-not that there isn't an overriding dislike of Asgardians amongst the Jotnar warriors anyway, but some are more amenable to the idea of possibly influencing the crown prince favorably. 

Loki and Helblindi decided on two women and three men. Not the biggest warriors but not the smallest either, average sized Jotuns. They all seemed intelligent and curious so the hope was that their curiosity would if not override at least interfere with their animosity. 

You accompany Loki and Helblindi to introduce the two sets of warriors. They will start out with some “friendly” sparring. 

The Jotuns give their names and pair off with the five Asgardians. Sif insists on sparring with a large bald man named Beli. The two Jotnar women chose Thor and Fandral. 

Thor asks where their weapons are, the giants smile and lift their arms. Knives, swords and axes of ice form on their fists. Thor’s group bring out their weapons and the sparing begins. 

The woman with Fandral has him on the ground in minutes. She growls that he was holding back and demands to trade partners with the man who is sparing with the Vanir. Thor laughs and yells that Fandral needs to fight her, not dance with her. 

Fandral winks at the warrior woman, she was very pretty by any standards, long black hair tied back in a braid and delicate features for a warrior. He gets back up fighting. This time he has her on the ground quickly, which he apologizes for and reaches a hand down to help her up. She grabs his hand and flips him over her head and they begin again. 

Sif stops for a second to laugh at Fandral and misses a swing from her bald blue opponent and she is on the ground herself. She gets up quickly and connects a swing at Beli that causes him to lose his balance for a second, but he recovers before she can take advantage and they continue. 

After they are done and have all cleaned up they are given lunch and Jotnar sea fruit wine to help sweeten their dispositions. They stay in their own groups though and mostly ignore each other, except the smiling and winks from Fandral and growls and hisses in return from the Jotnar women. This is going to take a while. 

***

The weather is starting to get above freezing. The ice sculptures in the courtyard start to shrink and lose their details. The fish in the pond are moving around more and searching the surface for food. 

The Casket has brought spring! There is talk of trying to plant crops. It won’t get very warm, just warm enough to loosen the soil but there are many edible plants that have evolved to grow in Jotunheim’s cold ancient spring. 

***  
You decide to make Jaxarna an apprentice instead of a student. She is much older than the others and there will be no more students in her age group. It makes sense. She can follow you much of the time and learn hands on but will have to do her book work on her own. She has you, Byliester and Loki to consult if she gets stuck. 

Her recent experiences have taught her a lot, even matured her a little, but she’s still a talkative young girl with the interests of young girls. She drives you crazy sometimes. 

“Sorceress! Farbauti General has picked some of her lieutenants to court Loki Prince. She picked the biggest and strongest and most beautiful women among them. I saw them, they are lovely. They would make beautiful princesses but Loki doesn’t like any of them. They try so hard to gain his affection”. She babbled. “Loki prince doesn’t want a wife who might step on him!” She continued with a giggle. “He should marry you, Sorceress”

You cringe. Not Jaxarna too? Byleister still teases you about being his sister. 

“No, Jaxarna, I don’t think that’s going to happen”

“But don’t you like him now that he brought back the Casket of Ancient Winters?”

“It’s more complicated than that, young one, marriage is more than just compatible height and tolerating their existence, plus I have much work to do. I have to be the Royal mage and run a temple. No time for a husband.”

“I think you will change your mind” the little girl giggles, “Have Loki Prince run the temple, he is very knowledgeable and the children love him”

You snort at her referring to “the children”.

“Helblindi King has time for a wife.” She continues, “You will be a princess!”

You roll your eyes. “Let’s work on the form of a sparrow” you change the subject. “This one is harder because you need to make yourself tiny, how do you think you will do that?”

The little girl becomes quiet, thinking hard about how to make herself tiny. 

***  
Nal Queen gives birth to a half mage girl, they name her Bára. Jotunheim celebrates. 

Another young half mage has been brought to you, a girl just a little older than the two young boys. You will need a new temple at some point. You can only house and teach so many children in the suite. 

Helblindi King has hired a designer and builder. The new temple will be built in the ice desert behind the castle. It won’t be ready for nearly a year but you are excited as you look around the area and imagine what it will look like. 

“It will be beautiful”

You turn and see Loki walking up to you. Since he brought back the casket he has been free to walk around without an escort. 

You don’t want to talk to him about this. Replacing the temple causes a wave of memories that you aren’t equipped to handle at the moment. You frantically try to think of a new subject to change to. 

“The ice carvings are melting. Next winter there will be a great festival since they should be completely gone by then”. You cringe at the ineloquent subject change. 

“I look forward to it” he answers. Do you think the children should practice carving ice for the festival?” He asks

And that sends you right back to the loss of all the artistic mages in the old temple. This isn’t going well. Perhaps you should go. 

You excuse yourself and start walking back to the palace. He gives you a strange look that you can’t quite classify and you walk a little faster. 

***  
Dinner is even more crowded. The five Jotun warriors have been included at a table next to the small Asgardian table, which has been raised on a platform so they can see each other, even if they aren’t interested in talking. 

Farbauti has invited one of her female lieutenants to sit between her and Loki. The woman is huge, tall and muscular, but her face is very feminine and her horns twist in a loop before coming to a point over her head. Her skin is pale blue, her long hair is pulled into a severe ponytail and has strands of copper mixed in with the black. She is from the northern region. 

She is very polite and seems kind. Loki smiles at her as he answers her small talk while sneaking glances over at you. 

You ignore him and talk to Byleister about the new half mage child who was brought in, as well as his new niece. 

Byleister notices Loki’s attempts to get your attention and smirks. 

Suddenly the voices from the warrior tables get louder. The bald woman who was sparing with Thor, Kolga, is about to get up and throttle Fandral for flirting with her incessantly when he had been soundly rejected more than once. Neither woman has any interest in the slight, light haired Aesir. 

Beli gives him a wink back though, and Fandral quickly looks the other way. The Jotun table explodes with laughter. 

Farbauti and the lieutenant growl at the whole group and Thor tells Fandral to give it up for now. At least he seems to be willing to fraternize, which is way more than any of the others seem capable of doing. 

After dinner Loki catches you on your way to your suite. 

“Will you walk with me in the courtyard” he asks. 

“I suppose”, you say. “We have things to discuss and I do love feeding the fish , they are very active this time of night”. 

You get outside and you ask “how is the new young one doing? What was her name?”

“Hyndla, she is very strong for a half mage, actually seems to be small for her age as well. Are their mages between full and half?”

“I suspect it’s more complicated than that.” You answer. “It’s not a single gene that controls it. She may have some other genes affecting her”. 

He nods his head. 

You get to the fish pond and you pull out some bits and crumbs from dinner and scatter them across the surface. Little fish faces surface and gulp down the bits greedily, fighting a little amongst themselves to see who gets the most of the tasty morsels. 

“Ama Lieutenant is very beautiful and wise” you say. “Farbauti General has chosen her with care”. You observe. 

“She is also very kind, but I have no desire to be wed. Mother is very pushy. I think the Casket of Ancient Winters is enough of a token, I do not need to marry one of them”. 

“Them?” You repeat coldly. “You mean one of us Jotnar?”

“Not one of Mother’s soldiers, no. I don’t care how impressed mother is with her” he says ignoring your accusation. 

“I wouldn’t want to marry a warrior either” you say thoughtfully. “Always worrying if they will come back home.”

“In Asgard I was looked down upon for using magic. If I used it in battle I was accused of cheating. They didn’t mind winning because of it though, they just didn’t speak of it. Muscle and aggression is valued over wisdom and learning. Magic is the work of women.” He says with sadness. 

“What Byleister and Jaxarna did in battle would have been looked down upon, but we would not have gotten the Casket without them. Even if Ama didn’t look down on my magic I would always be reminded of it.” He explained. 

“The General will be very disappointed. She wasn’t able to marry Helblindi off to one of her lieutenants either and I know Byleister has an eye for a certain musician who plays in the city.” You said with an affectionate smile. 

“I thought you and Byleister...” asked Loki his eyebrows raised quizzically   
above his ruby eyes. 

“Oh no. I love Byleister like a brother”. 

Suddenly that day filled your mind like it had just happened, seeing Byleister walking towards you along the edge of the steaming path of the bifrost. Finally recognizing him when he got close enough. How you both cried that day. This was all the doing of the man in front of you. The same man who returned the Casket of Ancient Winters to begin healing. The same man that loved teaching children and seeking knowledge. 

You frowned and your face darkened. Loki could sense that something was bothering you but he wasn’t sure exactly what it was. He looked at you with concern on his face. Like he cared what you were feeling. 

That was too much for you. You couldn’t stand being next to him. You nodded to him and turned to walk back into the palace. 

“Sorceress? What have I done?” He called softly after you. 

You both knew what he had done.


	16. Chapter 16

The next day you walk into the suite to check on the children after breakfast. 

Jaxarna has curled up comfortably in a corner on a big pile of furs. She has a stack of books next to her and a look of concentration on her face. She breaks to look up at you and smile, then goes back to her reading. You smile back, you do adore that little pain in the butt. Though she really isn’t that little, she has taken a growth spurt and is a head taller than you now. 

The boys are practicing writing runes, Baugi is helping his brother with a line, his brother is annoyed and thinks he’s doing just fine. They start to argue. Loki looks up from working with the new girl, Hyndla, and looks over at the brothers. 

“Suttungr! It’s OK to get help! It’s good of your brother to try, but let me see.” He reaches out his hand for Sutttungr’s paper.

“Oh it’s almost there, Suttungr, just straighten that line a little bit. The magic won’t do what you want it to do if you don’t tell it exactly.” He said smiling and handing the paper back. 

Baugi looked smug. Loki reached out his hand and took Baugi’s paper. “Very good, but be careful of too much pride”, he says “you must always ask questions, even of yourself”. 

Baugi’s face turned serious and he quietly took back his paper. Loki smiled affectionately at the little half mage. 

You feel conflicted as you watch the exchange. It’s very appealing how well he works with the little ones and he is very handsome with his tall curved horns and sparkling red eyes. Even his markings, which match Byliester and Helblindi’s seem to somehow fit his face and small body more aesthetically than his larger brothers. 

He led you to the Casket and did not betray you when you gave him your trust and erased the magic dampening runes that bound him. 

This is so complicated. 

You sigh and call Jaxarna out to practice shape shifting. 

Jaxarna has already made herself small enough to shift into a sparrow’s form. You are so proud of her. You were much older when you learned this form, but you didn’t fight in a war or have the other more mature experiences she has been though, you got to be a child and take things slow. 

Now you need to teach her to fly. You shrink down to sparrow form and hop over to her. She is already spinning in circles and flapping comically. 

You cheep at her and turn your head to focus on her with one eye. She stops and looks at you, cheeping back to indicate that you have her attention. 

You demonstrate proper take off in slow motion. She watches intently and gives it a try. By the third try she is aloft, not getting very far, but progressing nicely. At least the flying part. Landing was a little awkward, if you consider landing on your face a little awkward. You help her work on that too. 

Soon you are ready for a longer flight. You fly over to a tree to watch the Jotuns and Asgardians sparring, they are just finishing up. 

Beli’s sweaty blue bald head is shining in the late morning sun as he walks next to the Asgadian warrior maid. He reaches down and gives her a gentle push on the shoulder and says “you’re not a bad fighter... for an Asgardian”. 

She looks at him angrily and snaps, somewhat confused. “For an Asgardian?”

“Yeah you, Asgardian. Little and pink. What did you think I was going to say?” The Jotun quipped with a chuckle. 

Sif looks up at him for a moment, then looked over to the strong Jotun women walking together deep in conversation. They glared back at her while Fandral follows them. 

Beli follows her gaze and shrugs his shoulders. “I hope they give us sea fruit wine again, that’s rare and delicious. We usually settle for sloppy ale”

They chose well with Beli. He might just be able to win the angry little warrior maid over. Hopefully there will be more sea fruit wine. 

You motion to Jaxarna to take flight again. She hesitates for a second, jumping off a branch rather than up from the ground is a little scary at first, but she gets past her fear and easily follows you. You fly further this time and go out past the market and see stretches of land being readied for planting. The ground has thawed and is soft enough to till. It’s really happening. The Casket is changing the planet back. Jotunheim will prosper again. 

Loki is responsible for this. Can you overlook what else he has done? No, but perhaps you can forgive him? You push those thoughts down deep, it’s too painful still. At least you no longer fantasize about burning him in a fireball. You’d be smiling if you didn’t currently have a beak. 

You turn around and go back to the palace for lunch. Flying takes a lot out of you energy wise and you know Jaxarna will be hungry and tired. 

You drop Jaxarna off at the children’s suite and walk into the small dining room the royal family uses for private meals. The warriors tables are crammed in, and they do have sea fruit wine you notice with a smile. 

Beli has moved to the end of his table closest to the Asgardians and Sif has moved to sit next to him. They seem to be arguing about something, their voices are raised and fists crash on the table but it doesn’t look like it will escalate from there, it almost seems amicable. 

The two female Jotuns are next to each other and are watching Beli and apparently voicing their disapproval. The rest of the Asgardians and Jotuns are staying with their groups. 

You wonder if having them eat with the royal family is such a great idea. Maybe it would be best to just invite Thor and maybe Beli to represent the Jotuns. They probably need babysitters, though. Otherwise they could get into a real fight and cause some damage. 

Farbauti has brought in another female Lieutenant to meet Loki Prince. She is certainly focused on her plan to marry him off to one of her loyals. This one has tall, beautifully polished twisting horns with razor sharp tips. Her skin is a glowing cobalt blue with black markings and her inky black hair is tied back with green and gold ribbons. You wonder if the ribbons were Farbauti’s idea or hers. She is very beautiful. 

You climb up onto your chair next to Byleister and brag to him about how well Jaxarna did with her lesson today. He agrees, she is a very good student and a good choice for an apprentice. 

You glance over at Loki. He is smiling politely and nodding as the lovely lieutenant tells him with animated hand gestures and too much detail about the battles her troops won during the recent short war with Asgard. She is definitely Farbauti’s woman. 

Loki glances quickly at you and then focuses on a wall for an instant before looking back at the dark and sultry lieutenant. She doesn’t pause in her stories for a second and her velvety contralto voice carries across the room. 

You look at Byleister. “Does that woman ever stop talking about herself?” 

He chuckles softly at you. “No one is listening, they just look at her and smile. I wonder how her male troops manage to follow her commands”

You shake your head. 

Byliester raises his eyebrows and smirks as he leans in to you and whispers “Jealous, Sister?”

You roll your eyes. “Shut up, Byleister”. 

He laughs. 

Maybe you are. Just a tiny bit. 

***

You love the fish pond and the ice has completely cleared from the surface now. You squat down by the edge and feed the fish who are brave or dumb enough to eat from your hand. You drop the morsels into their gaping mouths as their silly fish faces greedily breach the surface. You stand up again and toss a handful out to the more timid creatures circling in the center of the pond. 

You hear a soft cough behind you and turn to look. It’s Loki Prince. 

“How long have you been there?” you ask. 

“Long enough to see the fish get a nice meal” he said smiling as he moved to stand next to you. 

You hum in acknowledgement. 

“Sorceress, I need to talk to you” he starts. 

Your stomach twists. You want to run away but you know he will just find you again. 

He looks you in the eyes, his red eyes intense. He licks his lips nervously and takes a deep breath. 

“I know there is no way that I can make up for what I have done to Jotunheim, not even the Casket will ever be enough. I know the way my action has affected your life is beyond forgiveness. But I can wish for it.” 

“Sorceress, I am no longer the man I was in Asgard. I was so bitter, so hateful and angry about the life I had there. I have found a home here, and despite my actions and many imperfections I have found family, I have found belonging when no one should want me. I am beyond horrified and ashamed of what I have done to this planet and its people, what I did to your temple and your fellow students and teachers. I am truly sorry and I foolishly wish for your forgiveness”. 

You stare at him, frozen in place. You know you need to move on at least, that your world has changed and you need to catch up with it. You need to be able to work with him, you need to for Jotunheim’s future. Can you do this?

“I treated you badly when I first came here.” He continued “I called you ugly and a little monster. I don’t think we are monsters anymore and I certainly don’t think you are ugly. I have learned to see us as beings capable of kindness and great beauty”. 

You feel warmth come to your face and you turn to stare at the fish, who are swimming around in circles and obliviously begging for more treats. 

“Sorceress?” he says after you have been staring at the fish for what seems like forever. 

You break away from the hypnotic swimming of the brightly colored creatures and look up at him. His face is stressed but hopeful. His eyes are glassy with unshed tears. 

You take a deep breath. “I forgive you for treating us like monsters, for calling us ugly”. You can honestly say that. You will only give him what is true. 

His eyelids drop and frozen tears tumble down his cheeks. “I suppose that’s a start” he says as he looks up again with a half smile. 

“I know I can not hold the past against you forever, Loki” you say. “I need to move forward with the rest of our world. I do see that you have become a different person. I can’t ever forgive the man you were, but perhaps I can learn not to hold it against the man that you are”. 

He looked up at you with a look of surprise. His smile was beautiful. You looked back at the fish.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I’m back. Sorry for the long wait. I think I burned myself out for a bit. But I’m back. I’ve also started on a couple of side stories from this universe for Jaxarna and Sif. I will be uploading them soon too. Thanks for sticking around and I hope everyone had a great holiday.

Thor and his group had been dressing, fighting, eating and just generally living as Jotuns for some time now. 

The experiment was not exactly the same as Loki’s experience since they were adults, they knew they were Aesir and they each had a Jotun handler, but there was some progress, the Aesir no longer glared at the Jotun, and the Jotun had learned some respect for the Aesir fighting skills. 

The warrior maid and her partner seemed to be doing especially well. They had started off the worst, she fought hard and he held his own against the precise but tiny woman. You were actually impressed at how she was often able to dominate him, both when physically sparring and in their conversations. They both seemed to enjoy the challenge that the other brought. 

The smallest Aesir with light hair was the worst. He seemed seemed to be constantly in some sort of heat and the Jotun women found him repulsive. It was amusing to see his partner knock him down repeatedly. He probably should have had a male partner. You would have to ask Loki how long Aesir heats lasted. The man seemed to have been in that state as long as he had been here and it was getting really old, he seemed to have no discretion. 

Helblindi King did decide that having ten warriors arguing during each of his meals was just too much noise for the royal dining room. Even though it was usually friendly it got rowdy sometimes. So the warriors, except for Thor and his handler, were put in a separate dining room. 

Kolga was somewhat starstruck to be at the same table as her King and her beloved General so she usually stayed quiet unless Thor did something that needed correction, which happened very rarely any more. The Aesir prince was smarter that he appeared most of the time. 

You started bringing your new apprentice with you as well, you figured Jaxarna should be shadowing you everywhere practical. She now sat to your right, on a chair with pillows to reach the table. 

Jaxarna was awestruck, much like Thor’s handler, Kolga. She kept very quiet and listened to every word. 

Jaxarna found the Aesir crown prince intriguing, which utterly baffled you. He was squat, lumpy and pink with no markings on his skin at all. His hair was pale and fragile looking and he had no horns. He was certainly strong and had the impressive magic that controls thunder and his magic war hammer, but you didn’t understand why Jaxarna found him so appealing. It just seemed to be part of her fascination with princes. You had thought it was just fairytale handsome princes like Byleister and Loki, but apparently the girl just loved princes. Again you apologized to your late teacher for whatever you did that had baffled him at her age. That time between child and adult is just bizarre. 

Ha! Now are you thinking of Loki as a fairy handsome prince? What’s happening to you? He is handsome, and knowledgeable and very powerful. But could you really ever get over what he did? This is not the man who had pointed the bifrost at Jotunheim anymore. This is a new man. A brilliant and attractive Jotun mage. 

Farbauti General has not stopped with the parade of fierce and lovely lieutenants. Today’s offering was a muscular bald woman with a hearty and quick laugh. She has long straight sharp horns with rows of gold bands set into them. She is loud and funny and you kind of like her-but not for Loki. You don’t like any of them for Loki. Neither does he, fortunately. 

This woman actually seems a better match for Thor. Her upbeat personality and love of battle seems very much in synch with the Aesir Prince who still calls Loki his brother. You wonder what Thor thinks of her. His grandmother had been Jotun, so intermingling at that level was not unheard of. Or maybe you just wanted her away from Loki. 

***

Jaxarna is fascinated by the Aesir and Jotun partners. She spends a lot of her free time watching them in sparrow form from nearby trees.

You remember fondly spending a lot of time in sparrow form when you learned to shift into it-which really wasn’t that long ago. All of you have had to grow up quickly. 

You think it might be a good exercise if one of the Aesir warriors start training her to fight. Loki had warrior training, even though he had developed his own style. It might be good for Jaxarna. Perhaps Thor would spend some time with her, you knew she would pay attention to him, you thought with a smirk. You ask Loki what he thinks. 

“She is a half mage with powers that surpass that of a simple warrior, I should train her in my fighting style” he says, clearly a little disgruntled that he wasn’t your first choice. 

“Perhaps she should develop her own style” you counter. “I think there is value in learning to fight without magic, and then adding it back in”. 

You sensed that this wasn’t really about who should train Jaxarna to fight. You started walking out to where the group did their sparing. 

Thor was relaxing with his warriors under a tree after their sparring session with their Jotun partners. The warrior maid was in deep and animated conversation with her Jotun partner, the others were bunched up with their own kind. 

You didn’t wait for Loki to start. “Thor Prince, I would like you to train my apprentice, Jaxarna in the warrior arts”. 

Thor looked surprised, then responded “certainly Sorceress, I would be happy to train the Lady Jaxarna”. The other Aesir looked skeptically at Thor, clearly not pleased that he was willing to train an enemy child in their fighting style. 

You knew that one of the tiny sparrows in the tree was really a silly Jotun half mage girl, who would be delighted by this news. That moment she hopped down and shifted into her natural form, startling the Aesir, who stood and drew their weapons. 

“Sorceress! Thor Prince! Thank you so much! When can we start?” She said excitedly. 

The Aesir stared at the girl, who was taller than most of them but much smaller than their Jotun partners. They recognized her and slowly put away their weapons. 

“Were you spying on us?” Volstagg asked only half joking. 

Jaxarna’s grin faded a little and she looked to you. 

“Jaxarna has to practice her flying, and she enjoys watching you spar. She was probably resting while you rested. Jaxarna, from now on please make yourself known if you are going to linger around Thor Prince and his warriors” you said smirking. “We have no reason to spy on our Aesir guests.” 

The Aesir looked at each other and then to the Jotnar. The Jotnar shrugged, they didn’t much like being spied on either, though they were more forgiving of the young half mage, she was just acting her age and snooping and there was nothing confidential being spoken that day.

“We will start tomorrow morning when the sun comes up, lady Jaxarna” Thor prince said with a smile. 

Jaxarna gave a big smile in return and nodded, then shrunk quickly into sparrow form and flew away. 

You and Thor laughed. 

Loki was quiet as you turned to walk back to the castle. You look at him walking next to you and frown.

“Loki, what you are doing with the children is amazing. I don’t know what we would do without your help. I’m truly glad you are here”. 

“But I am also the reason that you need my help, am I not?” He said looking into the distance. 

“Your Aesir self is the reason, yes. But your Jotun self is a different man”. 

He turned to look at you. His red eyes boring into yours as if there was something he could find in their depths that would prove you were being insincere. “Do you really believe that?”

“I do,” you respond. “You have shown me your Jotun self, I believe what I have seen.”

He was quiet. The two of you walked in silence through the courtyard, past the fish pond and the melting ice sculptures. 

You studied his profile as you walked. High cheekbones and thin lips with the tall dramatically curved horns. His horns were now perfectly polished and sharpened, he had learned to care for them and obviously took some pride in them, accepting this feature of his natural Jotun form. He was very similar in appearance to your best friend Byleister, but somehow his sharp features and swirling ridges seemed appealing in a different way. The fact that he was barely taller than you allowed you to see him from a more intimate angle. He was very pleasant to look at and you smiled softly as you looked at him. 

He caught your glance and his eyes went wide for a second, then he looked away as if to process what he was seeing. He looked back and gave you an awkward smile.

You chuckled, his smile was cute and slightly vulnerable, an amusing contrast to his usual demeanor. You quickly looked at the ground. 

“Why don’t you and Byleister start training the young ones to fight?” You started to break the awkwardness and get back to business. 

“Jaxarna is my apprentice, her training is going to be catered more to what I need her to be doing. I think that having her train with your Aesir brother serves multiple purposes. I’m also hoping that teaching her will help him to understand us better. She is a half mage, but she is also a young girl, and I’m assuming that Aesir children go through similar stages. The more he sees us as being like his own people, the more likely he is to become a true ally and friend to the Jotnar.” 

Loki nods. He isn’t completely convinced but he knows it is a losing battle, and not the best one to spend his energy on. 

“Sorceress, would you join me for dinner tonight with me in my suite?” He said cautiously, “I think we have much to discuss” he added quickly. 

You were caught off guard. What did this mean? Were you reading things into it? You did actually have quite a bit to talk about with him and his spot at the king's table was several places down. It made perfect sense that you should dine together, alone in order to discuss the training of the children and such without the noise and distractions from other diners. 

“Yes, we do. I will come to your suite tonight and we can talk over dinner.” You smiled and nodded as you walked off in the other direction purposefully. But you really hadn’t thought about where you are going next and ended up just getting out of his sight and heading to the fish pond to think. 

The fish saw you approach and swarmed the shallower water by the edge. You opened a container you had hidden in a snow bank that you were storing food scraps in and started tossing bits out to them. You watch them greedily gobble the bits of food and didn’t think about anything at all. 

***

Later that evening you are in your suite trying to decide if you should change your clothes for dinner. You don’t usually do that, and you aren’t quite sure why you are thinking of doing it now. 

You are wearing your usual maroon gown with the long cowl. Your horns are polished and have gold tips. You have your hair in a long braid down your back. You decide to take it out and as you brush it you admire the waves that were created in your shiny hair by the braid. This will do, it’s enough, it’s just a working dinner, to discuss the children. 

You look at the door between your suites for a moment, and then walk out your front door and down the hall to his front door. You don’t want to start using that connecting door. 

He opens his door and you immediately notice that he has changed his clothes. He’s now wearing a dark green vest and kilt. His hair is loose and brushed back off of his face, accentuating his sharp features. Both the kilt and vest have black and gold accents. He looks very handsome and he smiles as he motions for you to come in. 

There is a small, mage sized table already set with a full meal for two. He pulls back a chair and politely gestures for you to sit, then seats himself across from you.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year everyone!

You are hungry and the food looks great but you can’t make yourself eat. He’s smiling and picking at his food. 

Children! Right. “How is that new child doing with her studies, what was her name?”

“Her name is Hyndla” he answers. You knew that... why did you have to ask him, he probably thinks you aren’t paying attention to them. “She is very strong, much stronger than the boys, could we be wrong about her being a half mage?” He asked as he popped a piece of fish into his mouth a little too casually. 

“The genetics are complicated” you answer. “It’s more than a single gene and while most halfmages have approximately the same group of genes, give or take, there are other genes that can influence one’s powers.” He knows that. You’ve had this conversation already. This is really awkward. 

He nodded and picked up another piece of fish. While you were having trouble eating, he seemed to be eating compulsively. 

You poked at your food and finally picked up a piece of fish and put it in your mouth. It was delicious, and you were reminded that you were actually hungry so you daintily picked up another. You both ate in silence for a couple minutes, occupied by the food. 

There was a decanter of sea fruit wine on the table and you picked up your glass in one hand and reached for it with the other. He beat you to it and filled your glass, then filled his own. This should help. 

And it did. After a couple glasses. You both seemed a little less awkward and conversation flowed more freely. He told you funny stories about the boys, Baugi is a mischievous one and Loki is very amused by his antics, such as intentionally misspelling a set of runes that turned his brother’s hair blue to match his skin. Loki is certain that the boy knew exactly what he was doing. 

You laughed. And you both had more wine and laughed some more. In fact the wine was so funny he called for another bottle. 

This bottle was obviously defective as it was soon empty. You didn’t think it was a good idea to ask for another so soon so Loki held the empty bottle in his hand and it glowed green for a moment. Then he grinned mischievously and poured a sparkling golden liquid in your glass. “Asgardian mead” he said. 

You took a sip and were startled by how thick and sweet it was, and very strong. But the sweetness was pleasant. You told him that you liked it and the two of you finished that bottle too. He may have refilled it a time or two. 

This called for a nice walk out to the fish pond with the leftovers from dinner. As Loki flung his leftovers, plate and all into the pond he lost his balance and fell into the water. The look on his face was hysterical, he seemed surprised and offended that water was wet. 

You laughed and reached out your hand to pull him out and the next thing you knew you were in the water too, the silly fish were nibbling at you, it tickled and you couldn’t stop laughing. Loki was trying to brush the fish away and swatted you instead- which made you laugh even more and smack him back. He seemed to be over his anger at water and started laughing too. You worried that the noise would attract the attention of the castle guards so you cast a spell that would make anyone within sight or hearing not notice, or you hoped that was what it would do. 

The two of you managed to crawl out of the pond, soaking wet and covered in mud. Your gown clung to your legs as you tried to walk, it didn’t occur to you or Loki to dry yourselves off with magic, this may have been a good thing at this point as things could have gone embarrassingly sideways. However, it was hard to walk with your gown clinging to you so you started to float in the air-wait, no that was Loki, he picked you up and carried you. He was very strong for someone so small. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck to steady yourself and giggled into the crook of his neck when he stubbles on a big block of melting ice, nearly falling forward onto you. Your breath on his neck tickled him and he laughed and asked you to stop. 

You directed him to bring you back to your suite, you intended to change out of your muddy gown but he just walked over and sat on a couch in your sitting room with you still in his arms, both of you wet and muddy. You decided that his lap was actually a very comfortable spot and fell asleep, he apparently did too. 

***

You woke up to bright morning light, the sound of someone yelling and the horrible smell of fish mud turning your stomach. 

“Sorceress! Wake up! Come quickly! There has been an incident in the sparring field!! Hurry please!” Said a messenger whom a guard had let in. 

You were laying on the couch and there was a weight on your belly. You clothing was damp and covered in mud, it was really uncomfortable and itchy. You tried to force yourself awake. As you tried to stand you found that the weight on your belly was Loki’s head-he was sound asleep and snoring lightly, he was seated but had just leaned over and used your lap as a pillow. Your legs were still over his, you were quite embarrassingly entangled. The messenger was clearly averting his eyes as he frantically urged you to get up. 

You shook Loki’s shoulder until he stirred. He looked up at you in surprise for a second and then smiled sweetly, then grimaced when he caught a whiff of the damp fish mud. You would have laughed but the smell was turning your stomach and you needed to see what the messenger was so upset about. 

Your head was pounding and you had to change. You magically changed your clothing and rid yourself of the pond water and mud. While you were at it you removed it from the couch and Loki too. He got up and magically changed his clothes and said a hangover curing spell for the both of you. You could have kissed him for that one. 

The messenger was urging you to follow him, so you both teleported to the sparring field. 

When you got there Jaxarna was standing apart from the others and crying. Thor and the men were trying not to laugh, and Sif and the two female Jotun were giggling. The two Jotnar women were each petting a head of a very cute two headed snow elk fawn. 

Volstagg pointed at the fawn and laughed “that’s the most female attention he has gotten since we’ve been on Jotunheim!”

Thor burst out laughing and Hogan smirked uncharacteristically. 

Jaxarna ran to you and sniffled at you “I’m so sorry sorceress, I don’t know how I did it and I don’t know how to change him back”. 

Kolga looked up at you from petting the fawn “Really Sorceress, it’s ok, we like him much better this way” and everyone burst out laughing. 

“He really did have it coming” Sif said. 

You look at Loki and he looks at the fawn “Fandral?” The fawn’s two heads perk up and look towards him. He looks at Jaxarna “You did this?”

She sobs and then says “Yes Loki Prince, Teacher. I turned the Aesir man into this two headed fawn. But I don’t know how to turn him back! I’m really sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I just did it.”

“To be fair, he was making her uncomfortable” said Kolga. “She didn’t know how to respond and he must not have realized that she was so young”

“She is taller than most Aesir women” said Volstagg “but she is clearly a child. He had it coming”

You look at Jaxarna “We can fix this, it will be OK”. 

The young girl wipes her eyes with her hands and tries to smile. 

“Do you remember anything about how it happened?”

“He was staring at me and I didn’t like the look on his face. He’s small but he’s a good fighter and I was afraid. I thought about how my father didn’t like it when I messed with the Elk- I tried to make them have more twins but sometimes they just had two heads” she said sadly, looking at the ground. “It was the worst thing I could do and I was angry at him so I thought about him as a fawn, he wouldn’t be able to hurt me that way. Then I saw him change and I screamed. The others came over and they laughed but they didn’t know I couldn’t change him back.” 

“Well it might be hard but we will figure it out. It depends on whether you just shifted him or if you actually affected his DNA. I’m thinking it was a simple shift because doing it molecularly would be very delicate and he would likely have more problems than just two heads” you said smiling. “At least you’re didn’t throw a fireball at him”

The fawn walked over to you, it’s two sets of eyes liquid and pleading. One of the Jotnar women reached over and jerked its tail gently and giggled. One of the fawns heads whipped around to catch her, then turned back to look at you again. The Jotnar women, at least, were really enjoying his predicament. 

“We’ll fix you up, Fandral. But maybe now you will learn to leave us Jotnar women alone. I’m sure there are some who will like you, you just need to let them come to you. Men don’t chase women like that in our culture, we come together by mutual attraction and we are very picky. We just need to get you out of the castle- but you must promise to slow down! Kolga and Skadi will not kill you, but other women warriors will, even non warriors can hurt you.”

The fawn nodded both of its heads enthusiastically. That made you laugh with the others. 

You examined the fawn and determined that it was just a simple projected shape shift. You were actually impressed that Jaxarna could do that, but since she had grown up with snow elk she knew them very well so their pattern was solid in her mind-particularly the ones she had inadvertently altered. 

You put your hands on its shoulders and concentrated on your memory of the Aesir man. You telepathically connected with him in order to get all the details right and soon the fawn began to shift back into the man. You considered for a split second leaving the fluffy little tail as a reminder, but changed your mind in time. 

Once he was completely back to himself he looked at Jaxarna and bowed “I am very sorry I frightened you Lady Jaxarna”. Then he looked at you and said “thank you so much for returning me to myself, Sorceress”. 

“Thank you Sorceress” said Thor. “We were just about to get started with training when this happened. Lady Jaxarna are you ready to start now?”

Jaxarna grinned, obviously surprised that she would still be trained after what she had done “oh yes Thor Prince! I am ready!”

You and Loki smiled at her and turned to walk back to the castle. 

“I think the fish had fun last night” said Loki, smirking. 

“Yes, indeed they did” you responded. “I think they would like to get together again, but prefer that we stay on our side of the water”. 

Loki laughed and turned to you and smiled, the smile reached his sparkling red eyes and you couldn’t help but smile back.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m posting two small chapters tonight. There is also an optional chapter in between that is not part of this fic, there is a link to it in the end notes

Three more half mage children showed up in one day. Two more girls and a boy, unrelated. That seemed like a lot of kids, you wondered if Jotunheim was creating more mages to make up for its loss. 

The children’s suite was getting crowded. They had just started the foundations for the new temple, hopefully it would be finished before they ran out of space. 

Actually there were a lot more children of any type than usual. The Casket of Ancient Winters was changing the planet back to a more friendly place. There would still be snow and ice, but now there would be time to grow in the spring and harvest in the summer. 

There was still a lot of sea farming and fishing, the slightly warmer waters created abundance of creatures and plants, some that hadn’t been seen in hundreds of years. 

The planet was encouraging life and growing stronger. There were pregnant women and babies all around when before they were rare. 

Jotun Loki had more than made up for Aesir Loki, you thought with a smile. 

You looked up and saw Byliester quickly walking towards you with a huge smirk on his face. “Hi there sister!” He said with a chuckle, reaching down to slap you on the back. 

“Cut it out Byliester” you complained. 

“But is it not true? One of the messengers is telling everyone that he found you and Loki all curled up together this morning- good for you, it’s about time, mother might be disappointed though, she so wants one of her warriors in the family” Byliester babbled. 

“Shut up! Stop it! It’s not what it sounds like!”

“No?” Said Byliester putting his hands on your shoulder and stopping you. 

“No” you verified. “We had a lot to drink, fell into the fish pond and then I fell asleep.”

“Sorceress no!! Ok. You still have time, it’s not like you hit him or something”

“I think I might have”

Byleister stared at you like he was trying to decide if you were joking. “You like him now though, don’t you?”

“I like his Jotun self”. 

“You can’t split him in two, Sorceress. He was Aesir for hundreds of years, that’s part of him”. 

You were quiet. Maybe you just wanted to split his Aesir self in two... “just don’t start planning a joining ceremony, Byleister, unless it’s your own” 

He grinned, “that I might. I should beat you to it so I’m not the one who ruins mother’s last chance of bringing a warrior into the family. 

“I will be happy for you my friend” you said with a smile. 

“Call me brother”

“Shut up, Byliester”

***

You wanted to encourage Jaxarna’s new found skill of shape shifting things other than herself. You first had to convince her that no one was angry with her over Fandral. She felt really guilty, poor kid. 

You had her work on inanimate objects, like rocks. She eventually started to enjoy it and got creative- much like molding things from clay. She made lovely things from the rocks, elaborate statues that would never melt and ornate containers that you had no idea what she intended to store in them. 

Later you would have her work on animals, but first you wanted her confidence to be solid. 

Thor reported that she was doing really well with warrior training too. You were very pleased with your young apprentice. 

The warriors were going to take their Aesir friends out into the town to show them more of Jotunheim. Later that night Byleister would take them to his favorite place where his beloved sings. You and Loki were staying at the palace, having had enough drinking for a while. 

You decided to get together after dinner to work on lesson plans now that you had more students to work with. He would meet you in your suite. 

You wore traditional Jotnar attire of a halter top and a long loincloth. They were both maroon and embroidered with heavy gold beads. You let your hair lose again, soft waves cascaded down your back that were created by the tight braid earlier in the day. 

You moved the writing table over to the couch so that you could sit next to each other. 

When you opened to door to let him in you noticed that he was wearing a green Asgardian style tunic and pants, probably the same outfit Farbauti had made him change out of to fit in to the population better when you took him out to the town for the first time. It seemed so long ago, he was a different man then. Or are you different now too? 

You brought a teapot to the table and poured a sweet herbal tea for the two of you to drink while you worked. 

You both focused hard on the lesson plans for a while then you looked up and saw Loki gazing thoughtfully at you. 

You smiled timidly back, the tension and silence was unnerving. You decided that you’d had enough and would take a chance, what was the worst that could happen? Would he run out of the room screaming that the ugly little monster tried to bite him in the face? 

Your nerves got the best of you and you started laughing at the scene in your imagination. You couldn’t stop and he looked confused and started to chuckle along with you. 

“What’s so funny, Sorceress? He said between breaths as he started laughing harder with you. 

“I...” you giggled “I can’t... I can’t explain.” You covered your face with your hands and shake your head. 

The look on his face made you laugh more but you tried to calm down. Once you were breathing normally you framed his face with your hands and kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I forgot the Explicit tag... too late to add it now so I put it all into an optional chapter that you can read or skip. There are no plot elements here so it’s completely safe to skip if this isn’t your kind of thing [ Explicit Chapter 19.5](/works/22110964/)


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning the sun shines through your window and long curved horns are making shadows on your bedsheets. 

You roll over to watch him sleep, but he opens his ruby red eyes and smiles sweetly at you. 

It seems silly to be nervous and awkward at this point, and you feel you should say something but your mind is blank and distracted. 

“Good morning, Sorceress” he says as he gathers you into his arms. 

That’s right, you remember “good morning” you smile as he reaches over to kiss you. “I’m glad you are here”. 

“I’m waiting for someone to come barging in again” he chuckled. “Does that happen often?”

“Only when I sleep on the couch with a man covered in fish mud” you say. “I think Jaxarna will behave herself this morning”. 

You got up and picked up your clothes off the floor, throwing them into a hamper in a closet. “I’m hungry” you said “I will ask for breakfast to be brought up”. 

With that you took a maroon gown down from a hanger and pulled it over your head. Your clothes were not terribly complicated, it would always be quick to remove them later, you smirked as you walked to the door. 

You peeked out your door and asked a passing servant to bring up breakfast for two. You felt a little strange but realized that they had no idea where the second person was at the moment. 

Loki walked into the sitting room, fully dressed and took you in his arms and kissed you some more. You both smiled like idiots and laughed for no reason. 

“Mother heard about the fish pond incident yesterday. The messenger told everyone and she summoned him to interrogate him personally.” He said. “She is trying to discourage me. She really wants a military daughter in law. My Aesir mother would love you, though.”

“I have met Frigga Queen, actually. She was kind to me when she should have had me locked in the dungeons for sneaking into Asgard. I was practicing for the invasion. She made a mistake”

He looked at you for a moment and blinked slowly, considering what you just said. “She is very kind, and she is very wise, I’m sure that she knew what was going to happen” 

You let that sink in a bit. You remembered your interactions with the Aesir Queen. She didn’t seem foolish, maybe she did know and somehow approved of Jotunheim getting back the Casket of Ancient Winters- or maybe it was all for Loki. Yes, she was devoted to her adopted son, it was probably to benefit him and make his exile to Jotunheim less harsh. You were certainly impressed by her foresight, she was a fascinating woman. 

“My Jotnar mother, on the other hand, says our children will have defects and that I should marry a full sized woman in order to produce sound children. I think Helblindi is already doing that for her,” he laughed “and Byliester will soon join him.”

“It will be complicated genetically for us to produce children, but we are both very powerful and can be picky about what is implanted. We can produce healthy children, perhaps even full mages.” You wondered if it bothered him that you were so literal info dumping on him all the time, but he just smiled at you and squeezed your hand. 

A servant walked in the door with breakfast and you let go of his hand at the sound of the door opening. They were obviously trying not to stare at you and Loki but you knew there would be another set of rumors even though you were both properly dressed, awake and not touching one another. 

***

Later that day you passed Farbauti General in the hallway. She glared at you but you simply greeted her in the normal and polite manner that you always did. She growled. You did not acknowledge her sentiment. She will have to get over that, you thought to yourself. The combination of you and Loki was way more powerful that he would be with one of her lieutenants, though you were sure that she had planned to groom that potential daughter in law to succeed her as General of the Jotunheim forces. She would have to choose her own successor now. But for the near future meals in the royal dining room would be tense for a while. 

***

Byleister confided in you when you were checking in on the children. 

“Mother is so angry!” He whispered grinning. 

Your face turned a brighter blue and you looked away with a smile. “I know-“

“This morning I officially announced that I would be taking the musician Audboda as my mate” he said joyfully. “Mother is livid! She knew this was coming though, I don’t know why she is taking it so badly”

You stared at him for a moment, his red eyes sparkled with happiness and he was almost glowing. You noted how much he looked like a larger Loki and smiled. “I’m so happy for you, Byleister. How soon is the joining ceremony?”

“As soon as possible. Next week. Mother will need that time to calm down” said Byleister 

You were very skeptical that Farbauti General would be getting any calmer, all things considered. You hoped that your friend’s joining ceremony would go well in spite of her great disappointment in her daughters in law. You wondered how she felt about Nal Queen, she was not a warrior either.


	21. Chapter 21

Plans were being made for Byleister’s joining ceremony. Farbauti was doing the absolute minimum she could get away with in protest. You and Nal Queen took over the details that the General neglected. You decided to befriend Audboda, she was to be your best friend’s mate and you wanted her to feel welcome even if her soon to be mother in law was not being very friendly. 

Audboda was a beautiful full sized Jotun woman with long straight reddish hair. Her skin was pale blue but very pretty. Her voice was smooth and musical even when she spoke. You fully approved of her for your dear friend. 

You took time from your work to show her around the castle. You took her to the children’s suite and introduced her to the young mages. Two more young girls had arrived that morning and Audboda was especially kind to them. 

Jaxarna was delighted by her and insisted on calling her Princess, even though the title wouldn’t truly be hers for another week. 

Audboda sang for the children and they adored her. You started to think about whether there might be a place for her in the temple. Music was always a welcome thing and perhaps there were things she could help the younger ones memorize by making them into songs. 

As you walked her back to her suite you asked her about doing some songs. You suggested that Byleister could help her with the content. 

She seemed to like the idea more as she thought it through. She really couldn’t continue singing in drinking establishments once she was a princess. She would not be giving up her career, it was just going to change into something more suitable to a princess and this sounded to her like something that could be enjoyable. 

The two of you continued with other small talk as you walked down the halls. 

“Sorceress!” An angry snarl echoed through the hallway. 

You stopped in your tracks, Audboda looked down at you startled and apprehensive. Farbauti was coming up behind you and you politely turned around to greet her. 

“Yes General?”

“Stay away from Loki, you are distracting him from choosing a proper mate”. She snarled bluntly, not stopping and ignoring Audboda as if she were a servant. 

You said nothing, raising your eyebrows slightly and waiting for her to continue, if she would. 

She finally stopped about twenty steps away so she could yell across the hall at you “You are incompatible! An inappropriate match. Two full mages will produce monsters instead of children!”

You let her talk, Audboda looked back and forth between you two fearfully. 

“Loki must produce children for the royal line”.

You took a breath, paused and said “Loki has many children in the temple, he contributes to Jotunheim’s future in that way”.

“You would deny him healthy offspring of his own?” She growled deeply. 

“With care and planning we can produce healthy children, we are mages and DNA manipulation is possible, I don’t know why it wasn’t practiced in the past. Helblindi is king and his offspring will be the proper heirs to the throne. Byleister’s new mate will also produce viable heirs.”

Audboda stepped back, not wanting to be part of this confrontation. 

Farbauti glared at you, her red eyes glowing like hot coals. Her face looking very severe with her hair pulled back in her signature high tight ponytail. 

You let her stew for a moment. “Choose your own successor, General. You have many men and women whom you have trained and influenced to choose from, your choice will be better for your purpose than your son’s choice of a mate, he is a mage, not a soldier”.

The General stared down at you menacingly and a deep growl escaped her throat, you heard Audboda gasp behind you. 

You allowed your seider to create a radiant maroon glow around your body, crackling like static electricity waiting to jump to the nearest ground. No one who valued their skin would dare touch you in that condition. Audboda wisely stepped even further back, adding to the distance between herself and the two of you. 

Farbauti’s growl ended with a sharp snarl and she turned crisply and marched purposely back the way she came, making it clear that nothing had changed. 

You closed your eyes and shook your head. You just stood up to Farbauti General. Oh shit. 

“That was terrifying,” said Audboda. 

“Welcome to the Royal Family, my friend” you quipped much more lightly than you really felt. 

“Why does she hate you so much?”

You look up at the full sized Jotun woman and smirk “she’s run out of sons”. 

**

You finish walking Audboda back to the suite they set her up in and then go back to your own. Just as you decided to knock on the door that joined Loki’s suite to yours a servant walked into your sitting room and told you that the King had requested your presence. 

Helblindi had called you to his study. It was an unusual request. You were the most junior member of his council, you wondered what he would need from you that he wouldn’t be asking in a full council meeting. 

“Sorceress, you have made an enemy of my mother.” He said with a smirk. 

You raised your eyebrow wondering why he found that so amusing, being on Farbauti’s bad side was not a position anyone would want to find themselves in, and certainly nothing to be amused by. 

“Your Majesty, Farbauti General has several fine officers from whom she can choose for her successor, she can make a better choice than any of her sons could.”

Helblindi smiled. “My mother is a master of military strategy, but for some reason she has her heart set on a daughter-in-law to be her successor since none of us desired or were suited for military life.” He said standing up from his desk and walking to the window. “I disagree and have suggested that this is even a weakness on her part”

You held back a gasp. Only her son the king could ever dare make an accusation like that to the ferocious General and come out unscathed. 

Helblindi chuckled at your response. “I reminded my mother that she is no longer Queen, she is only the head of the royal army and as such she reports to me. I may be her son, but I am also her King. She wasn’t very happy about that”. 

“Why have you called me here, Your Highness?” You asked. 

“I know you are the choice of my brother Loki. I approve of this. He has become a true son of Jotunheim under your Influence. You have my blessing as your King and my support if you are to become my sister. Do not let my mother concern you”. 

You stared at the King in surprise. You weren’t sure his approval really mattered to Farbauti, but you did value it. “Thank you, your highness.” 

“I will gain two sisters in a very short time.” He smiled. “We have seasons again, crops are growing and many children are being born. You have been essential in this transformation. My brother would have simply continued to sulk and snipe in the dungeon without your influence.”

“I don’t know, your highness, but thank you” you said with your head respectfully bowed. 

“Now go to my brother and keep him out of trouble, sister”. The King said as he smiled and motioned to the door. 

You grinned and turned to go. 

You tried not to skip down the hallway to your suite. You stopped in front of Loki’s door and knocked. 

He opened the door and pulled you in with a hug, pressing his lips to yours as he shut the tall door behind you. You ran your fingers through his silky black hair then pulled away. He smiled and gazed into your eyes. 

“Mother is angry,” he said softly. 

“I know”

“I don’t care,” he said smiling. 

“Apparently not” you said as you leaned in to kiss him again. 

He was the first to pull away this time and he just looked deep into your eyes and softly laughed. You started laughing too. You both just looked at each other and just laughed happily at each other. 

“Audboda likes the idea of creating songs to help the children learn” you reported to Loki. 

“That will be good, she has a beautiful voice and the children love her” he said. 

You talked about the children and your day with Audboda over dinner. You stayed with Loki in his suite that night. 

***

The day of Byleister and Audboda’s joining ceremony came. There were beautiful ice sculptures and actual flowers that had been grown in Jotunheim for the first time in hundreds of years. There were hundreds of people in attendance, including the Aesir and their Jotun partners. 

Audboda was dressed in a beautiful blue gown to match the color of Byleister’s magic. Her hair was put up in elaborate braids. Byleister was very handsome in his dark blue kilt and vest, his hair hung silky and loose past his shoulders. They both had ribbons tied to their horns that streamed after them as they walked together to stand before Helblindi King. 

You stood to the king’s side with Jaxarna and Loki. Nal Queen was on his other side with Farbauti and Thrym, the lieutenant who had led the army into Asgard. 

Thrym looked apprehensive standing next to Farbauti General. She had been dragging him around with her for days. You assumed that he was Farbautis choice for a successor since it would not be any of her daughter in laws. You were actually happy for him, he deserved to be her successor and was at least as qualified as the female lieutenants, if not more. You hoped that was what was going on anyway. 

Farbauti glared briefly at you and ignored Audboda as if Byleister alone was standing before the king. 

The crowd was silent as Helblindi recited the words of joining in the ancient tongue. Audboda looked down adoringly at Byleister as he gazed up at her as if nothing else existed in the world but her beautiful face. Helblindi then took one of their hands in each of his. He put their hands together, let go and took a step back, leaving the couple joined together in front of the crowd. 

The crowd shouted their joy and approval. You and Jaxarna joined in enthusiastically. Loki watched you with a smile and then joined in at the end. 

There was a huge feast and casks of sea fruit wine flowed for everyone. People began to dance. 

You watched and smiled when you saw Beli swinging the Asynja war maid around on the dance floor. She was so tiny in his arms but they were so graceful. You wondered if there was anything more to that. 

The other Aesir and Jotun partners were also dancing, mostly with random jotnar women. Fandaral actually found a lovely Jotnar woman who was impressed with him, they danced and he looked happy, tiny in her arms but apparently loving it. Volstagg was busy with the feast, but he was happiest of all. 

Farbauti was glaring a hole in you from across the room. You smirked and turned to Loki and asked him to dance with you. Farbauti stormed from the room, Thrym dutifully following her. No one else paid attention.


	22. Chapter 22

Jaxarna continued to train with Thor every morning first thing. She had chosen a glaive as her weapon but preferred to just construct one from her ice. Thor didn’t care what her weapon was made from and ice weapons were just part of her Jotun physiology so they didn’t count as magic.

As they sparred she blocked him with the staff part of her glaive, spinning around she knocked the Aesir Prince down with a quick kick to the back of his knee and pressed her ice blade to the fallen prince’s neck.

“You let me win this one!!” she giggled in protest as she removed the blade and stepped back for the prince to get up.

“No, Lady Jaxarna,” Thor Prince chuckled, “most warriors would have been felled by your actions this time, I am proud to have you as a student”.

Sif snorted beside them and then smirked. “Are you ready to spar with me now, little Jotun girl? Don’t expect me to hold back for you at all”.

Jaxarna laughed in delight as she approached the warrior maid and got into the stance Thor had taught her. “I’m still bigger than you little Asynja”, she taunted back with a giggle.

The other Aesir and Jotun took a break from their matches to watch. Sif didn’t pull any punches and the girl was quickly on the ground.

“See? I told you he let me win that one!” Jaxarna pouted.

“Get up, girl”, growled Sif playfully as she stepped back and got into position to start again.

“Time to stop now” you told them. As much as you appreciated the training she was getting you also wanted your apprentice to accompany you to the council meeting for a different sort of learning.

“Yes Sorceress”. Jaxarna said. “Thank you Thor Prince and Lady Sif” she said as she brushed herself off and bowed her head respectfully.

You walked with her back to the castle and into the council chamber.

Helblindi had brought Loki in for this meeting and you smiled across the table at him as you climbed up onto the thick pillows that were on your chair.

“I have brought my brother to help discuss the Aesir.” Said the King.

“It’s past time to be rid of them!” Interrupted Farbauti General with a snarl.

“Thank you for your opinion General, but going forward I would like you to wait your turn” said Helblindi coldly, holding his mother's gaze for a moment before turning back to the full council.

You could tell that Farbauti was furious. She glared at her son before nodding to him as her King.

“The Aesir Queen has requested a visit. She wants to see both of her sons.”

Farbauti’s anger could be felt in the air at the audacity of the Aesir Queen continuing to claim Loki as her son.

Loki gazed steadily and calmly at Farbauti, “Farbauti General is my birth mother and has taught me much since I have been here on Jotunheim. For that I will always be beyond grateful, but Frigga Queen will always have a special place in my heart regardless of the circumstances that put her there. I will meet with her gladly.”

Farbauti seemed only slightly mollified by his words and continued to scowl.

“I feel that my brother, Thor, has made much progress towards understanding the Jotnar since he has been on Jotunheim. He and his warriors have befriended many Jotun and will no longer consider us as animals or savages who are beneath them. They have learned that what we grew up believing about the Jotnar is not true.” Loki said thoughtfully.

Helblindi looked at you and asked for your thoughts. “Thor Prince has trained my apprentice to fight with weapons and without magic. I did not see where he had held anything back from her. I also have seen friendships grow between the Aesir and many Jotun”. You offered.

“They need to be gone!” Scowled Farbauti again.

“Mother,” said Helblindi, “I will not ask you again. At your next outburst I have you removed from this meeting.”

Thrym was sitting next to her and put his hand on the General’s forearm but she glared at him and growled a clear warning. He removed his hand and looked straight ahead anxiously. You worried a little for Thrym, he was in a difficult situation.

Jaxarna fidgeted slightly in her seat. You gave her a warning look to be still.

“We will meet with the Aesir Queen this evening.” Helblindi informed the council.

***

The bifrost flashed and Frigga Queen appeared on a beautiful white mare with four mounted Einherjar at her side.

Helblindi greeted her with kindness and grace. Farbauti General was absent from the welcoming party.

The Jotuns got back into the elk sled to return to the castle with the horses and Aesir riders galloping beside. It was a pleasant day and the short journey in the crisp air was very enjoyable.

Helblindi had a meeting room set up and the Aesir Prince and his friends with their Jotun partners were already there. Servants brought in tea and sweet snacks.

Frigga Queen immediately ran to embrace Thor Prince. “My son!” She said with enthusiasm

“We are well, mother. We have been well cared for and have made many friends and future allies here”. He assured her.

The Aesir Queen studied his face as if there were some secret to be uncovered, but she knew her son and didn’t expect to find anything being hidden from her.

She turned and looked at Loki Prince. “Loki, my son, others may believe you have changed but I have always known that you had this great potential deep inside you. I am so proud of what you have become. Loki stepped over to his Aesir mother and pulled the tiny woman into a tight embrace. His eyes looked glassy from unshed tears.

“Thank you mother” he said letting go of her with a graceful bow.

You looked around to make sure Farbauti General was not in the room. This would certainly push her anger to a blind rage.

“And you, Sorceress, I look forward to seeing more of you in the future. Perhaps a visit to Asgard without using a secret portal?”

You smiled and nodded your head. “I would like that very much, your majesty”.

Loki reaches out his hand to clasp yours, looking into your eyes with happiness.

The tiny Queen greeted each of the warriors by name and asked them how they were fairing. They all responded positively and with great respect.

Helblindi spoke to Frigga Queen about the progress that had been made, and that he would return her son and the warriors to her soon. He spoke of his hope that Jotunheim and Asgard would grow to be allies despite the history between them.

Frigga Queen echoed his sentiments and smiled graciously.

The group of you took the Aesir Queen for a walk through the courtyard, Loki and Thor Prince thought their mother would enjoy the new gardens and ice sculptures. Recently there had been a few ornamental plants put into the ground. These plants were native to Jotunheim; they were strong and not as pretty as the flowers you had seen in the garden in Asgard, but they had evolved for the cold. The Aesir Queen was quite impressed by them and asked many questions.

The group stopped to admire the fishpond and you and Loki smiled at each other at your shared memories when suddenly there was a flash of blue skin followed by small bright fire balls of yellow seider. Thor and Loki both rushed to protect the Aesir Queen.

A Jotun man was on the ground holding his badly burned side. Jaxarna was standing over him with the point of her ice glaive making a dent on his neck. A tiny trickle of blood raced to the ground. In her left hand was a yellow fireball waiting to be thrown if he made another move.

The Aesir queen’s Einherjar had drawn their weapons and closed in on the two Jotuns.

You quickly sent out tendrils of magic to feel for the presence of other attackers, but it appeared that he had been alone. You were frustrated that you had not felt his presence and wondered if there might be a renegade half mage or some other magic user involved.

You walked over to the fallen soldier and recognized Thrym.

You conjured chains to bind him and Helblindi stormed over to him furiously.

“What is the meaning of this, Thrym Lieutenant! Who dares to attempt to harm my honored guest and bring shame to my court?”

Thrym refused to speak and Jaxarna pushed the tip of her glaive even harder into the chained man's neck.

“Enough, Jaxarna”. You called quietly to your apprentice. “You have done well in protecting Frigga Queen, now you must give the prisoner over to your king to deal with.”

Jaxarna looked up from Thrym, you could tell the girl was still on pure adrenaline. She nodded, her ice glaive disappeared and she walked back over to you.

“Thank you my dear” said Frigga Queen looking up at the young Jotun half mage. Jaxarna smiled sweetly and bowed to the little Queen.

You would have to talk to Jaxarna later. She had done a wonderful job but you were afraid of how she would react when she came down from her adrenaline rush.

Thrym was refusing to answer Helblindi. You wondered if his actions were at Farbauti’s command or if he was doing it on his own. You didn’t know him that well, only of his talent as a leader in the war with Asgard. This seemed a very strange thing for him to attempt on his own.

Helblindi called for guards to carry Thrym down into the dungeon. He also called for the third in command of the Jotunheim army to meet him in the council chamber.

He then commanded ten of his personal guards to escort the Aesir Queen to the bifrost site and see her and the Einherjar safely off.

***

Back in the council room you watched as the Ennla Lieutenant answered as many of the king’s questions as she could.

She had been one of the women that Farbauti had tried to match with Loki. She had gold bands decorating her wickedly sharpened horns and her head was shaved bald. She was very strong and muscular. None of the sense of humor and jovial personality she had shown in the dining room with Loki was coming out now. She was all business.

“I do not know the whereabouts of Farbauti General nor if Thrym Lieutenant was acting at her direction.” She confessed. “Most of the troops are very loyal to the General, I need to get a reading on them now, your highness.”

“To whom are your loyalties given, Lieutenant?”

“To Jotunheim, Sire. Only to Jotunheim and her rightful King” she said bowing her head respectfully at Helblindi.

Helblindi nodded and told her that she would be his General until further notice. She was to find Farbauti and bring her to him as soon as possible.

The new General stood up and bowed low to her King. “I am at your service and that of Jotunheim, your majesty”.


End file.
